As parts of Bathurst and the Central West have their gas supply re-connected following a disruption to normal service, customers in the Oberon and Lithgow areas are urged to conserve gas and turn off appliances.
The main supplier of gas to the Bathurst area, Jemena advise that the gas supply in Bathurst has now been returned to the secondary main, which has allowed supply to be returned to Bathurst Hospital.
Nursing homes and other customers considered to be vulnerable, such as the elderly and those with medical conditions requiring a guaranteed supply of gas, have been prioritised to have their supply re-connected.
Jemena crews will continue to perform ‘make safe’ works across Bathurst today, ahead of restoring gas to homes and businesses. More than half of all premises in Bathurst have been visited by Jemena crews.
Work to restore gas to premises in White Rock and Raglan is well advanced. Most homes and businesses in these areas had gas restored yesterday. Calling cards were left where crews could not access properties – we ask community members to follow the directions on those cards to have their gas restored. Work to restore gas to premises in Kelso has started and will continue today.
Reinstating gas supply is a resource intensive activity that requires energy staff to attend each individual premise to conduct a ‘make safe’ process, followed by a re-light process. An additional 80 personnel have been activated to assist in this process.
For safety reasons, Jemena needs to interrupt the supply of gas to customers in Oberon within the next 24 hours. This will impact all gas customers in Oberon except for Oberon Hospital, life support and other customers Jemena has classified as vulnerable.
Additional police resources from Western Region have been specifically tasked to assist emergency crews and the community as gas supply is returned to the area.
Police have established a Regional Emergency Operations Centre (REOC) to monitor and co-ordinate the deployment of emergency services personnel and resources on two fronts – in support of the SES, combatting the floods across western NSW; and the gas supply outages affecting Bathurst and nearby areas.
Service NSW has established an emergency hotline for affected customers. If you or your household are vulnerable and need immediate welfare assistance with food or material aid – for example blankets, heaters, or warm clothing – while awaiting the restoration of your gas service, please contact Service NSW on
13 77 88.
The lines operating hours:
Saturday 5 November 2022 – 12pm to 5pm
Saturday 6 November 2022 – 9am to 5pm
Monday to Friday – 9am to 5pm
Service NSW will be able to direct you to the available assistance or will register your request with the relevant welfare agencies.
As the main gas supplier to the Region, Jemena provide the following tips and warnings.
- Do not attempt to connect liquid petroleum gas (LPG) to existing natural gas supply lines. Both gases work to different pressures and there is a strong likelihood of explosion.
- Do not bring un-flued heaters or BBQs into the house for heating purposes. They produce carbon monoxide, which can cause people to lose consciousness and die as a result of inhalation.
- Councils at Lithgow and Oberon have introduced hot showers for the community. For locations, go to the relevant local Council website.
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) have also provided the following safety tips for customers
- Outdoor cookers, BBQ’s and heaters, particularly those with charcoal beads, give off poisonous Carbon Monoxide gas and should never be used inside homes
- FRNSW also warns the public not to use petrol-powered pumps, outdoor heaters or generators indoors due to the deadly CO gases that are produced
- Carbon Monoxide is a colourless, tasteless and odourless gas that can build up in rooms and overwhelm people without warning, leading to death.
- If you do intend to use fuel-powered equipment, ensure all areas are ventilated and carefully follow manufacturers’ instructions
- FRNSW has already witnessed a number of near-death incidents involving CO-producing outdoor cookers and heaters this year
- Don’t risk your safety or that of your loved ones, keep them safe by leaving outdoor heat sources outside
Members of the public affected by the gas outage can stay up to date with the latest information via www.jemena.com.au/outages-and-faults/gas and https://www.apa.com.au/gas-supply-update/
In all life-threatening situations and emergencies, the public are advised to contact Triple Zero (000).
