Bayside ranks as the most-affected suburb in NSW for power outages caused by environmental factors such as storms, floods and high winds, leaving around 1,206 people without power for an average of 144 minutes between April 2023 and March 2024, according to a new report by PSS Distributors – NSW Blackout Hotspots Revealed – Causes and Impacts.
Bayside is followed by Cessnock (996 people affected) and the Northern Beaches (736 people affected).
Top NSW LGAs for Customers Affected by Environment-Driven Power Outages
| No | LGA | Total Avg Customers Interrupted | Avg Duration (Mins) |
| 1 | Bayside | 1206 | 144 |
| 2 | Cessnock | 996 | 184 |
| 3 | Northern Beaches | 736 | 120 |
| 4 | Maitland | 698 | 111 |
| 5 | Hornsby | 645 | 148 |
| 6 | Central Coast | 583 | 166 |
| 7 | Port Stephens | 491 | 225 |
| 8 | Sutherland | 484 | 138 |
| 9 | Ku-Ring-Gai | 457 | 206 |
| 10 | Lake Macquarie | 436 | 166 |
Source: Ausgrid
Top NSW LGAs by Average Number of Customers Interrupted
| No | LGA | Total Avg Customers Interrupted | Avg Duration (Mins) |
| 1 | Hunter's Hill | 1290 | 126 |
| 2 | Lake Macquarie | 834 | 168 |
| 3 | Lane Cove | 769 | 116 |
| 4 | Ryde | 754 | 144 |
| 5 | Central Coast | 753 | 146 |
| 6 | Cessnock | 738 | 191 |
| 7 | Bayside | 732 | 173 |
| 8 | Port Stephens | 700 | 217 |
| 9 | Northern Beaches | 662 | 154 |
| 10 | Hornsby | 655 | 172 |
Source: Ausgrid
The report explores data for 34 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across NSW and unveils the blackspots where outages strike most frequently and linger the longest, using information from April 2023 to March 2024 outage data from Ausgrid – Australia's largest electricity distributor on the east coast.
It also highlights environmental factors, equipment faults and third-party incidents such as maintenance work as the leading causes of these blackouts, which disrupt homes and businesses alike. Areas like the Northern Beaches, Lane Cove and Ryde experience compounded impacts due to multiple contributing factors.
As the Sydney heatwave last week demonstrated, power outages in NSW are becoming an increasingly urgent issue. With multiple coal-fired power plants set to close or undergo maintenance, NSW is bracing for a record number of blackouts in 2025 – a challenge that extends beyond an inconvenience, but a serious risk to safety and productivity for residents and businesses alike.
"Power outages disrupt more than just our daily routines – they can halt essential services, compromise business operations and threaten safety, especially during dangerous heatwaves," says Claire Combridge, Sales and Marketing Manager at PSS Distributors. "For homeowners, blackouts can leave security systems, CCTV and safety lighting inoperable, and prevent access to automatic gates, garage doors and even the internet – now considered a vital service in many countries. For businesses, the risks are even greater, with potential loss of income from downed POS systems, spoiled products like food or vaccines, and damage to critical equipment or data.
"You can minimise the risks by being prepared. Do this investing in backup power like UPS units or generators and looking at ways to reduce your reliance on the grid through renewable energy solutions. Simple measures, like updating emergency supplies and creating a communication plan for your household or team, can make blackouts more manageable too," she says.
Blackout Hotspots: The Numbers
The report reveals stark disparities in how outages affect different regions:
- High customer impact: Hunter's Hill averages 1,290 customers interrupted per outage, while densely populated areas like Lane Cove and Lake Macquarie also report significant impacts.
- Longest durations: The Lower North Shore tops the list for the longest outages (364 minutes), followed by Waverley (246 minutes) and Mosman (234 minutes).
- Rural challenges: Upper Hunter and Singleton face extended restoration times due to infrastructure accessibility and logistical hurdles.
What Causes Power Outages?
From April 2023 to March 2024, the primary causes of outages were:
- Environmental factors: Severe weather, including storms and lightning.
- Equipment faults: Failures in infrastructure like transformers and powerlines.
- Third-party impacts: Operational errors, accidental cable digs and vandalism.
Regions like Port Stephens and Northern Beaches demonstrate how multiple factors can converge, compounding the impacts on households and businesses.
Read the full report, including detailed LGA rankings and outage causes, here.
