Meeniyan arts hub and Port Welshpool coast guard get backup power boost
Two South Gippsland groups share $58,442 in the final round of AusNet’s Energy Resilience Community Fund ahead of summer
LYREBIRD Arts Council in Meeniyan and Port Welshpool Volunteer Coast Guard will share $58,442 to keep the power on during outages in the final round of AusNet’s Energy Resilience Community Fund.
The Meeniyan group will receive $50,000 for battery storage alongside existing solar and a three-phase generator connection at the Lyrebird Arts and Meeniyan Mechanics Institute.
The upgrade will keep lighting, communications, refrigeration and cooking facilities running during outages and extreme weather, turning the venue into an emergency resilience hub.
Port Welshpool Volunteer Coast Guard will receive $8,442 for battery storage, an inverter, controls and switchboard upgrades to work with its existing solar, keeping marine rescue communications, coordination and lighting going when the grid goes down.
The two South Gippsland projects are among 47 councils and community groups across Victoria sharing close to $1.7 million in the final round.
AusNet executive general manager distribution Andrew Linnie said with warmer and drier conditions heading into summer, the grants would help communities prepare for emergency events.
“These ERCF-funded projects will help support trusted local community hubs, with solutions that will keep lights on, phones charged, food and medicines refrigerated and essential services operating during prolonged power outages and emergency events,” Mr Linnie said.
The fund has already backed local projects in earlier rounds, including $94,769 for a generator and Starlink at Kongwak Public Hall so it can operate as an emergency relief centre.
South Gippsland Shire Council received $273,650 for an emergency community response vehicle, a generator trailer and two Starlink units, while Mirboo Country Development received $146,548 for changeover switches so critical businesses can connect to generators.
AusNet established the $12 million fund after the February 2024 storms, which significantly impacted the electricity network, and it has now supported almost 140 community resilience hubs and mobile assets.
Under a court enforceable undertaking with the Essential Services Commission, AusNet must distribute the full $12 million by December 31 this year.
