Tuesday, 3 February 2026

 Annabelle CLEELAND (Euroa) (18:18): (1470) My question is for the Minister for Energy and Resources. Will the minister back AusNet’s $40.5 million BN11 express feeder line and actively support its submission to the Australian Energy Regulator so people in my region can finally have a safe and reliable electricity supply? For years, long before the Longwood bushfires, families and businesses across the region have endured repeated outages, damaging power surges and ongoing voltage drops. During recent outages in temperatures exceeding 40 degrees residents were left without cooling, refrigeration or communications. Emergency call-outs went unanswered, telecommunications failed alongside the power and people could not contact emergency services, family or support. Young children, older residents and vulnerable people were put at risk. This is a public safety failure. Without meaningful investment, this region will remain economically constrained, socially disadvantaged and increasingly unsafe as climate risks intensify. Reliable power is not a luxury, it is foundational infrastructure.