Lengthy blackouts could cause NT deaths, health experts warn

THE lives of vulnerable Territorians could be at risk if lengthy blackouts persist this summer, a leading health expert has warned

Cold food at Woolworths in Alice Springs was lost during the blackout on Sunday Picture: Supplied

• ELECTRICAL workers call for urgent action over NT power outages

THE lives of vulnerable Territorians could be at risk if lengthy blackouts persist in Alice Springs this summer, a leading health expert has warned.

Alice Springs and surrounding regions were thrown into chaos on Sunday with power going out for up to nine hours in town, leaving residents in the dark from 2.26pm until 10.47pm while temperatures hit up to 39 degrees.

The outage knocked out traffic lights and forced businesses to close and throw out shelves of spoiled refrigerated food.

Australian Medical Association NT president Dr Rob Parker said the blackout could have put lives at risk.

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“The hospital has a back-up generator but there are still a large number of vulnerable people living at home in Alice Springs with chronic illnesses at risk,” he said.

Renewables, Energy and Essential Services Minister Dale Wakefield said an investigation into the cause of the network outage was underway.

In a statement Power and Water said the blackout was a result of a “generation issue”.

The outage marked the second consecutive week Alice Springs lost power and follows fears from the Electrical Trade Union NT that the region would suffer from summer blackouts due to the premature closure of Ron Goodin Power Station. Mayor Damien Ryan said there was also a spike in town crime as thieves took advantage of the blackout.

“It’s only the start of summer and we’re worried this could be just the beginning of what’s to come,” he said.

Independent MP for Araluen Robyn Lambley said the Government desperately needed to prioritise finding a solution to the overloads.