The Central Coast has been ranked number five in a new report listing NSW local government areas (LGAs) most vulnerable to power disruptions.
The report by PSS Distributors, NSW’s Blackout Hotspots Revealed – Causes and Impacts, explores data for 34 LGAs across the state and unveils the blackspots where outages strike most frequently and linger the longest.
Ausgrid outage data from April 2023 to March 2024 was used in compiling the report.
With record high temperatures predicted throughout Summer, power outages in NSW are becoming an increasingly urgent issue.
As multiple coal-fired power plants get set to close or undergo maintenance, the state is bracing for a record number of blackouts in 2025 – a challenge that extends beyond just an inconvenience, but a serious risk to safety and productivity for residents and businesses alike.
The report says Hunters Hill was the most affected, with an average of 1,290 customers interrupted, followed by Lake Macquarie (834), Lane Cove (769), Ryde (754) and the Central Coast (753).
Residents in the Lower North Shore endured the longest disruptions, lasting more than six hours, on average.
The report also highlights environmental factors, equipment faults and third-party incidents such as maintenance work as the leading causes of the blackouts.
The report found disruptions on the Central Coast lasted an average of 146 minutes.