By NOEL MURPHY
TORQUAY homes are reeling from weeks of chronic gas shortages amid a recent cold spell, leaving residents shivering as vital heaters and hot water services shut down.
Gas retailer SP Ausnet said the highest demand in five years caused a pressure drop during extreme cold last week, when snow fell in the nearby Otways.
Residents have complained about gas stoppages for weeks on Surfcoast Community Facebook page.
But often the cuts have meant one household service drops out while another might work – viz, heaters work but not hotwater, and vice versa.
The gas shortage has covered all of Torquay and Jan Juc and back toward Geelong.
“If you have both services on gas, your house supply cacks itself and one has to be turned off,” one resident said.
“I’m in old Torquay. Us old-timers here always have both for back-up – gas used to be bottles and power poles used to explode!”
SP Ausnet’s spokesperson Jonathon Geddes said the company notified 4000 residents via calls and SMS alerts and took action to maximise network pressures when high demand and cold weather were predicted.
“We received 18 reports of low gas pressure, called these customers the following day to ensure their supply was restored and sent crews to four properties to relight appliances upon request,” Mr Geddes said.
SP Ausnet was working toward an additional supply to service the burgeoning township in the coming year.
“We’re in the planning phase to construct a secondary high-pressure gas supply from Geelong into Torquay in the next 12 months. We’re committed to providing a safe and reliable gas supply to Torquay and the surrounding area.
“Again, we apologise to those impacted by this isolated incident.”
SP AusNet said it had carried out works costing more than $580 million to bring natural gas to more than 92,000 homes and businesses in western Victoria over the last five years.
