PARLIAMENTARY traction is building regarding the power outages that have plagued parts of the Mitchell Shire, but specific action still remains unconfirmed for those affected.
State Member for Yan Yean Lauren Kathage brought the matter to the Victorian Parliament on June 3, making a point that the winter months are a particularly tough time for outages as the cold settles in.
She called for immediate action beyond the planned works for the areas in her electorate which include Wallan, Wandong and Heathcote Junction.
In a separate statement to the Review, a Victorian Government spokesperson confirmed that they’ve been told by AusNet that the substantial multi-hour outage that affected residents across Kilmore, Wandong, Heathcote Junction and surrounding areas on Tuesday, May 26, was caused by an equipment fault.
Although emphasising that the state government does not directly control power distribution, the spokesperson pointed out that measures are in the works to address some of the issues affecting the state as a whole.
“Victorians rightly expect a reliable electricity supply, and maintaining the distribution network is the responsibility of privately owned electricity companies such as AusNet, under the oversight of the Australian Energy Regulator and Essential Services Commission,” they said.
“That’s why the Victorian Government has acted to strengthen accountability and improve network resilience.
“In March 2026, Parliament passed reforms requiring distribution businesses to develop and deliver legally enforceable five-year network resilience plans, outlining measures such as strengthening poles, protecting assets from flood risks, and deploying mobile generators during emergencies.
“These plans will be required to be submitted in January 2027.”
The state government spokesperson said that the reforms will give both the Australian Energy Regulator and the Essential Services Commission stronger oversight powers.
“[It will] ensure electricity companies are held accountable for preparing for and responding to severe weather and network failures,” they said.
“Businesses that fail to meet their obligations can face civil penalties, and they are required to take all reasonable steps to deliver the resilience projects in their plans.
“These changes will help deliver a more reliable electricity network for households, businesses, and emergency services, while reducing the long-term cost of outages and disaster recovery for Victorian communities.”
The planned works that Ms Kathage mentioned in parliament are tagged as ‘critical maintenance’ by AusNet, and will only affect a small number of properties at a time.
In the southern-most part of the neighbouring Northern Victoria electorate, residents may see their own planned outages in the coming weeks.
A total of 13 outages are planned for properties in Kilmore, Kilmore East, Forbes, Moranding, Sunday Creek and Willowmavin before the end of the month.
Some of these are scheduled to last for more than six hours, and will affect less than 100 properties per planned outage.
