POWER FAILURE
New home buyers left waiting for Ergon switch-on
BUYERS ready to move into their dream homes are being warned that it could be months before their power is switched on as Ergon Energy delays hit new subdivisions all over Cairns.
Ergon blamed record demand for connections, but Austart Homes director Charmaine Matthews (below) is furious that customers are being kept waiting.
BUYERS ready to move into their dream homes are being warned that it could be months before their power is switched on as Ergon Energy delays hit new subdivisions all over Cairns.
Kayla Schneider’s new house in Smithfield Village is built and ready for her to turn it into a home – except the lights do not switch on.
She is paying mortgage and rent while waiting for Ergon to tell her when the site will get power.
The veterinarian’s story is being replicated in new estates across the city with the power company unable to give definitive dates.
“It’s a disaster,” she said. “Thankfully, I was able to get a rental extension, but so many people are homeless at the moment.
“We had six families that
were coming to look at our rental today that had to cancel because the house just won’t be ready for them. It’s not just us; it’s the knock-on effects of everyone else needing somewhere to live too.”
The build on accountant Adonis Chigeza’s Bluewater Estate home in Trinity Beach was due to be completed last week.
He is staying with his parents while waiting for Ergon to do its job.
“I talked to the developer and apparently it’s an internal thing with Ergon not communicating,” he said.
“They were saying the power was ready to be connected back in February, but it appears that wasn’t communicated internally.
“The developer has being trying to get us a date, but we can’t even get that.”
Buyers are not the only ones feeling the pain.
Power to new streets is traditionally hooked up early in the construction process for street lighting and to allow tradespeople to build homes.
Bridgewater Builders owner Peter Bridgewater said gyprockers, painters and cleaners had to bring generators to sites just to operate.
“You go to an estate with power and it’s quiet,” he said.
“Go down to Smithfield Village right now and it sounds like a war zone.
“Even tilers have to bring a generator, and all they need to do is run a drill.”
Austart Homes director Charmaine Matthews is furious at the situation.
She has two finished display homes in Smithfield Village that she has been unable to use for a fortnight due to the lack of power.
“I’ve got clients who were supposed to have power last week, and now they’re saying it might not happen until June 30,” she said.
“The last excuse they gave us was that they had to send people down to the floods in Brisbane. The floods were in February and we settled on the land in November, prior to the floods.
“They’ve got power in Brisbane now, so why haven’t we got it up here?”
The Cairns Post has spoken to multiple developers, who have confirmed the problem is all across the city, not just on the northside.
An Ergon spokeswoman attributed the delays to a record number of connection applications being made since July 2020, fuelled by government stimulus, low interest rates and interstate migration.
“We recognise the importance of timely connections for developers, builders and homeowners, and our priority is to get the power on to our customers as soon as practically possible,” she said.
“We have consulted industry groups and organisations representing developers on a range of initiatives designed to simplify and expedite the connection process.
“While we don’t comment on individual cases in the media for privacy reasons, we are committed to working with customers and encourage them to contact us directly with any concerns.”