Bullsbrook Father's Anguish Over Power Outages Endangering Quadriplegic Son
A father from Bullsbrook in Western Australia has voiced his deep distress over repeated power outages that are putting his quadriplegic son at serious risk during Perth's scorching summer heatwave. Rob Mackie claims his son Cody, who became quadriplegic after a mountain biking accident in 2022, is forced to remain confined in his air-conditioned bedroom for hours to avoid overheating when the electricity fails.
Frequent Outages Create Dangerous Situation
Local residents report experiencing power cuts approximately twice monthly, but for the Mackie family, these disruptions carry life-threatening consequences. Cody's body cannot regulate its own temperature due to his spinal cord injury, making reliable cooling essential for his health and safety.
"With our backup power system, we have one air conditioner which is in his bedroom," Mr Mackie explained. "So for the whole time, he has to sit in his wheelchair in his bedroom, because obviously on a 40C day, he'll just overheat and dehydrate."
The family has invested in backup power solutions and battery storage to maintain at least one cool room, but this means Cody spends extended periods isolated in his bedroom during outages. "He knows what he has to do, he'll just stay in his bedroom and stare at the walls basically, until the power comes back on," Mr Mackie described, calling the situation "pretty stressful."
Political Pressure Mounts Over Reliability Concerns
According to figures compiled by the Opposition, Bullsbrook has already recorded 16 power outages this month alone. While most affected fewer than 10 properties, some incidents left over 900 homes without electricity for nearly 20 hours. During the early February heatwave, more than 2000 Bullsbrook properties lost power.
Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas met with frustrated residents on Monday, declaring the situation unacceptable. "The power keeps going out, 16 times in the month of Bullsbrook this month alone, that is unacceptable, that is third world standards," he stated. "We're living in Perth in Western Australia, where the Premier likes to keep reminding us we have the most prosperous economy in the country, and yet this government can't keep the power on."
Utility Company Cites Environmental Challenges
Local Labor MP Michelle Maynard was scheduled to meet with concerned residents on Monday night, while Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson's office referred inquiries to Western Power as an operational matter. The utility company has issued 1368 extended outage payments this summer for outages lasting more than 12 hours.
A Western Power spokesperson explained the challenges facing the Bullsbrook area: "The Bullsbrook area has a widely dispersed population and is supplied primarily via three feeders crossing highly vegetated areas. This means network protection settings are adjusted during summer to mitigate bushfire risk."
The company listed several causes for recent outages:
- Equipment failure including pole top fires
- Lightning strikes
- Environmental factors like birds, animals and vegetation damaging infrastructure
- Several bushfires in the area
The spokesperson emphasized that safety protocols prevent restoring power when vegetation or fauna might cause sparks, highlighting the delicate balance between reliability and bushfire prevention in Western Australia's challenging climate conditions.
