The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) through its Energy Security and Emergency Management Branch is allocated the role of Combat Agency for significant electricity and gas emergencies in New South Wales.
In October 2024, severe weather damaged transmission towers supplying electricity to Far West NSW communities. The department coordinated the emergency response by implementing components of the State Electricity Supply Emergency Sub Plan, working closely with government and industry partners to manage impacts and restore essential services. Over 10,000 electricity connections lost power, affecting hospitals, communications, water, and essential services.
To strengthen future responses the department commissioned an independent after-action review of the outage.
The review showed collaboration across government, energy providers and emergency services helped restore power quickly. It also identified ways to improve emergency readiness and response, especially for regional and remote communities.
Key findings from the report
The report makes recommendations focused on strengthening NSW’s energy emergency response. Key focus areas include:
- updating the NSW Electricity Supply Emergency Plan
- ensuring consistent public communications from all stakeholders
- better support for residents relying on electricity for medical needs
- improvements to emergency activation protocols
- secure data sharing systems
- improved coordination and access to backup power
Consultation
The review was informed by local councils, energy providers, emergency services, health agencies, community leaders and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO). Input was collected through interviews, group discussions and workshops.
Download the full report
Far West NSW Power Outage post event Review Report (PDF, 400KB)