Maintain your property
It is important that you maintain any utilities infrastructure, fixtures and fittings on your property. You should always ensure you maintain a safe working environment.

Maintain your trees
Never try to trim trees that are near power lines on your own as it is highly dangerous. If a tree on your property is approaching power lines you should contact SA Power Networks.

Dial Before You Dig
Dial Before You Dig is designed to protect yourself and others from unintentionally hitting underground utility lines and helps to prevent unintended consequences such as injury to you or your family, damage to your property and utility service outages to the entire community, which may cause you to be liable for repair costs and fines.

Perform a review of your day to day activities and the luxury items you use on a regular basis. Consider the loss of all items powered by electricity, fed by water or fuelled by gas or petrol and plan to manage their loss for 48 hours.

• Understand your risk
• Put together an emergency kit
• Have a battery operated or wind-up torch and a battery powered or wind-up radio
• Keep mobile phones, laptops or tablets fully charged
• A non-main powered landline telephone (The NBN won’t work during a power outage)
• Help your friends and family to think ahead and learn
• Stay informed

Electricity - SA power Networks
SA Power Networks own and operate the electricity distribution network in the City of Charles Sturt. Report an issue to SA Power Networks or call 13 13 66.

For information on power outages in your area, you can visit their Outage Report Map.

Australian Gas Networks
Call this number to report an issue 1800 GAS LEAK (1800 427 532)

Australian Gas Networks (AGN) is the primary distributor of natural gas in the City of Charles Sturt. Information on gas outages, leaks and emergencies can be found on the Australian Gas Networks website.

SA Water
SA Water manages the water and sewerage services in the City of Charles Sturt. Click here for information on how to report an issue to SA Water.

Information on current major faults and scheduled works can be found on their website.

• Stay clear of any powerlines that have fallen
• If you can smell gas report it immediately
• Streetlights and traffic lights may not be working
• Drive to the conditions
• Do not use lifts

In your home

• Remain calm
• Do not try and fix the issue yourself
• Follow any directions given to you by your utility provider
• Make use of the supplies from your emergency kit
• Try to avoid using candles or naked flames of any kind to provide light
• If you leave your home during a prolonged utility outage shut off your utility supply
• A refrigerator and freezer will keep food cold longer if you keep the door closed

SA Power Networks service level payments
For power outages longer than 12 hours, you may be eligible for a guaranteed service level payment. You do not need to apply for the payment – SA Power Networks will send it to you within three months if you are eligible.

Your home

• Start your recovery and clean-up
• Help others, including neighbours
• Persons undertaking work on gas and power utilities must be appropriately licensed
• If told to boil drinking water, bring water to a rolling boil for one minute and allow it to cool before drinking
• Do not turn on any lights or power points until you are sure there is no electrical damage
• If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise:
  • Open windows
  • Do not use any electrical appliances as they create a spark
  • Turn off the gas at the meter or bottle