Coogee Bay Rd businesses plea for Ausgrid to change planned power outage amid profit loss

A power outage planned for a busy Sydney dining precinct on a key trading weekend has enraged business owners who say cutting the lights could cost them at least a week’s worth of profit.

Venue business owners in Coogee – already struggling to keep the lights on – are fuming over a planned power outage which could cost them at least a week’s worth of profit.

Business owners along busy beachside strip Coogee Bay Rd, could face having their power cut for at least 10 hours on the Sunday April 6 because of Ausgrid maintenance works.

Last week, vendors were informed the outage – which will hit at least 13 businesses – would take hold from 8pm until 6am the following morning.

A text sent by Ausgrid to one business owner stated the planned maintenance was necessary for “upgrading the electricity network for new community and building projects nearby”.

Maurice Lombardo at his restaurant La Spiaggia in Coogee.

However, for incensed business owners, the plan is an unnecessary kick in the guts and hit to the local hospitality scene’s hip pocket.

Maurice Lombardo, owner of long standing Italian eatery La Spiaggia, said the outage could not be planned for a worse time, stating the date coincided with the major horse racing auction Inglis Sales.

Despite being moved to Warwick Farm after a century in Randwick, the bloodstock auction — which Mr Lombardo says is “like a religious event”, still brings “thousands” of out-of-towners to the area.

Business owner Brenton McHatton with his children Dylan, 8 and Taro, 11.

“All the big guys, the buyers and sellers of the racing horses, they all come here and we’ve been serving them this particular weekend for like 25 years,” Mr Lombardo said.

“I don’t think they (Ausgrid) realise the weekend that it is, because it’s gonna be a busy weekend, that Sunday’s a big Sunday.

“If (the works) were done any time after Easter when business has dramatically declined, that would be a little bit of common sense.”

Adding salt in the wound, was the “ridiculous” advice from an Ausgrid customer service representative who suggested Mr Lombardo instead buy a generator to power his venue for the evening.

Mr Lombardo at La Spiaggia in Coogee.

Brenton McHatton is bracing for shift cuts for his employees at Little Jack Horner.

“That annoyed me the most, a generator will cost $2000 … they’re loud and stink of diesel,’’ Mr Lombardo said.

Similarly, Brenton McHatton, said his eatery Little Jack Horner could lose an entire week’s profit, which as a flow-on effect would mean cutting the shifts of eight employees.

“We have big overheads because of where we are, we work hard all week and then Sunday night is where we make our week’s profit,” he said.

“We’ve worked really hard to become a Sunday night destination with live music and loyal customers every week, if we break that habit-forming and routine then it’s an ongoing loss as well.”

Mr McHatton also added it was “ridiculous” Ausgrid would schedule the works without any consultation or compensation offers.

“If you think realistically Monday is the quietest night of the week in Coogee, why wouldn’t you speak to the businesses and ask what’s best suited for them.”

Coogee Bay Rd hosts several busy restaurants.

An equally frustrated Randwick Council has negotiated Ausgrid for a Monday outage but it has so far been unsuccessful.

East ward councillor Carolyn Martin described Ausgrid’s move to shut down business without consultation as being “beyond belief”’.

“They need reliability to operate and I think Ausgrid has failed them, we have tried and failed to get any resolution in this matter to date,” she said.

When approached for comment an Ausgrid spokesman said it was assessing the possibility of postponing the “complex” works.

“Ausgrid is currently assessing options to postpone this complex work which also requires road closures,” the spokeswoman said.

“Advice of planned outages are provided to affected customers one month in advance with a follow up around one week before the actual outage.”

Originally published as Coogee Bay Rd businesses plea for Ausgrid to change planned power outage amid profit loss