Transcript for Community Microgrids and Sustainable Energy Program video

[ Speaker: Tracey Ah Sam - Recreational Reserve Committee member, Omeo]

The Omeo community are very close-knit.  They're supportive and proud.
They're very aware of their physical surroundings and how extreme weather can affect the environment and the community.
Previously, you know, during our extreme weather conditions, particularly during fire and floods, we'd be without power.
There's no way we'd get a generator here for days.

[ Speaker: Graeme Mitchell - Karbeethong Lodge Owner, Mallacoota]

I used to say a gentle breeze will take out the power in Mallacoota because we're at the end of the line, power would just go off without warning.

[ Speaker: Tracey Johnston - CFA Captain, Mallacoota]

2019, 2020 and years prior to that showed us when there's storms, power often would go out.

Power during the bushfires was off for at least three weeks, so we had to run off the generator here but now that we've just had the solar installed that'll guarantee energy requirements to keep the Mallacoota fire station running as a command facility for a lot longer.

[ Speaker: The Hon. Lily D'Ambrosio MP - Minister for Energy and Resources]

Through the Community Microgrids and Sustainable Energy Program, the Victorian Government is proud to have contributed seven million dollars to help deliver microgrids to Omeo, Mallacoota and Corryong.

[ Speaker: Jon D'SyIva - Chief Development Officer, AusNet]

Since the 2019-2020 bushfires, Ausnet and Mondo have been working closely with the communities of Corryong, Omeo and Mallacoota to design, plan and implement new energy resilience strategies.

[ Speaker: The Hon. Lily D'Ambrosio MP - Minister for Energy and Resources]

The program has provided solar panels, batteries and other energy infrastructure for community buildings and households in each of the three towns.

[ Speaker: Jon D'SyIva - Chief Development Officer, AusNet]

In partnership with the community and DECCA and with our delivery partners Mondo and RACV Solar, this project has delivered over 80 energy systems providing greater energy resilience to these three Victorian towns.

[ Speaker: Ian Cesa - Upper Murray Inc. Committee Member, Corryong]

Energy infrastructure is so important to economic development in any community and what we were finding was that the entire community was suffering a lot from periodic outages that were affecting all the businesses in town and residences pretty substantially.

[ Speaker: Rodney O'Connell - Resident, Omeo]

So energy resilience means to us here in Omeo the fact that you can still operate and function because if you have power outages as we've had in the past up to three days at the time we can now still operate and on those other occasions you can't operate.
So energy resilience is very important in the sense that you can still function as a community.

[ Speaker: Jon D'SyIva - Chief Development Officer, AusNet]

We've installed solar systems, batteries, smart energy controllers and generators on key public and community buildings.
These energy systems will provide energy resilience in the event of network outages.

[ Speaker: Ian Cesa - Upper Murray Inc. Committee Member, Corryong]

Our long-term goal in the Upper Murray is to have all of the energy that we need generated and distributed within the region.
The Community Microgrids and Sustainable Energy Project enables us to get to a microgrid so much quicker than we ever anticipated.

[ Speaker: Tracey Ah Sam - Recreational Reserve Comittee member, Omeo]

Because of the location and terrain of where we live we'll always be affected by fire and floods.
So to have that continuous power supply for our community is going to support our community in times of recovery.

[ Speaker: Graeme Mitchell - Karbeethong Lodge Owner, Mallacoota]

Well Mallacoota is a pretty hopeful place and having backup services and backup to power that you know you're not going to be left in the lurch just gives you a good feeling as far as being positive about the future.

[ Onscreen text: Developed in partnership with Ausnet, Mondo, Victoria State Government and delivered by RACV Solar (logos)]