Libs fail in push for parliamentary probe into Vic power outage

The Liberal Party has failed in its bid to set up a parliamentary inquiry into last week’s wild weather, that left many Victorians without power.

The Liberal Party has failed in its bid to establish a parliamentary probe into last week’s destructive weather that left half a million Victorians without power.

The opposition had hoped to garner the support of the crossbench but on Wednesday afternoon fell short of the votes it needed after the Greens and Legalise Cannabis announced they would side with the government to defeat the inquiry.

The proposed inquiry would have investigated the blackouts that occurred last Tuesday and their impact on households and businesses, the reliability and stability of Victoria’s energy distribution networks as well as the cost of developing reliable networks to support the increasing reliance on renewable energy.

The government slammed the opposition’s inquiry as a stunt before it announced its own review, led by a panel to be appointed by Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, the next morning.

But that investigation, to begin later this year, won’t probe the government’s role in the power outages.

Opposition energy spokesman and upper house MP David Davis said: “It’s extraordinary that Labor and its fellow travellers will combine to block an independent parliamentary inquiry into the massive power outages, the biggest in decades of Victoria’s electricity system.”

“MPs in the chamber are entitled to vote freely but they should also not be hoodwinked by Labor,” he said.

“They’ve been told there’ll be an independent inquiry but no names have been ventured. Who are these mystery people? Mr Nobody.”

Premier Jacinta Allan on Tuesday confirmed Lily D’Ambrosio would initiate an investigation into the powerful storms that flattened six transmission towers and shut down parts of the state’s energy grid.

“We will take our advice on these matters from experts, not the same Liberal Party who privatised our transmission lines, power stations (and) distribution businesses,” she said.

Ms Allan said a similar review was conducted following storm events in June and October 2021.

“There was a range of recommendations (from the review) that have been acted on,” she said.

“It is appropriate and usual practice that following a weather event like this you engage the experts.”

Last week’s wild weather plunged 530,000 homes across Victoria into darkness. Picture: Alison Wynd

Ms D’Ambrosio said the review would be led by an expert panel — independent of government — and would be tasked with uncovering what went wrong, including issues related response times, the deployment of crews and the timeliness of returning power to customers.

“What’s really important is that we get to the bottom of the questions that we’re hearing from communities,” she said.

The expert panel, however, has not yet been appointed.

Ms D’Ambrosio denied that the announcement was in response to the opposition’s push for a parliamentary inquiry, calling such claims “ridiculous”.

She said the government had been focused on immediate relief for affected Victorians.

But when pressed on why generators had not yet been rolled out to affected families, the energy minister conceded the distribution had only begun today — despite some families being without power for a week.

“Not everyone needs a small generator, a number of people may have made decisions around alternative accommodation,” she said.

“Others will have already there own home generators.”

She said 3172 premises still remained off the main electricity supply on Tuesday afternoon, including 2620 households and about 550 businesses.

Ms D’Ambrosio said the remaining properties were expected to regain power by Friday.

“We understand certainly that it remains a very, very difficult situation for those people that remain of supply and crews continue to work around the clock to get as many people back home supply as possible,” she said.

Those affected by the extreme weather event are now able to access emergency payments.

Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio announced an independent investigation into Victoria’s power failure after days of wild weather. Picture: Alison Wynd

It comes after the Victorian Coalition on Monday pushed for a parliamentary inquiry into the fragility of the state’s energy transmission network after recent “catastrophic storms”.

Opposition Leader John Pesutto said the Allan government’s failure to address previous warnings had culminated in hundreds of thousands of households and businesses facing days without electricity.

“Following the events of last week, I had hoped that Jacinta Allan and her government would come out clearly and indicated to the Victorian people that her government would conduct a root and branch review of where we’re at, why previous warnings have not been acted upon,” he said.

“That’s why the Liberals and Nationals this week in the parliament will be seeking to form in the upper house a select inquiry into the events of last week and all of the surrounding issues.”

Opposition spokesman for Energy, Affordability and Security David Davis said the select committee would “look at the reliability, security and durability of our distribution system”.

“That will obviously look at the events of last week, but look much broader than that,” he said.

“It will look at the issues around renewables and getting the electricity to the city fundamentally from a number of different locations.”

Powerline towers near Anakie were left battered and broken after last week’s gusty conditions. Picture: Alison Wynd

Mr Davis said the government “had not done the work” to establish effective and affordable energy transmission.

Questioned about whether the Coalition were hopeful about receiving support from the crossbench, Mr Davis said the opposition “were prepared to talk about” any tweaks or changes to the motion.

“This is something that’s very central to Victoria’s future that needs to be inquired into,” he said.

He noted issues with some of the longer power lines in regional Victoria, one of which has consistently caused lengthy power outages throughout summer in the central Victorian town of Euroa and its surrounds.

“Victorians have every right to expect secure, reliable and affordable power,” Mr Davis said.

“This is completely unacceptable.”

A Victorian government spokesman labelled the Coalition’s push for an investigation into the state’s energy sector “another stunt from John Pesutto’s Liberals”.

“Energy Safe Victoria has confirmed it will conduct an investigation into the collapse of transmission towers at Anakie,” they said.

Originally published as Libs fail in push for parliamentary probe into Vic power outage