Altogether, 47 community groups and councils across Victoria have been successful in the final round of AusNet’s Energy Resilience Community Fund, sharing in close to $1.7 million.
At Waminda, $24,948 will go towards installing solar panels and battery storage to create an energy-resilient hub for Benalla West.
The funding will enable the community house to continue to provide a safe gathering space, communications, device charging, referrals and practical support for residents during outages and extreme weather events.
AusNet executive general manager of distribution Andrew Linnie said that with warmer and drier conditions heading into summer, the grants would help communities prepare for emergency events.
“These Energy Resilience Community Fund-funded projects will help support trusted local community hubs, with solutions that will keep lights on, phones charged, food and medicines refrigerated and essential services operating during prolonged power outages and emergency events,” he said.
“Through the Energy Resilience Community Fund, AusNet has supported the creation of almost 140 community resilience hubs and mobile assets, with many operational and ready for community use now and in future emergency events.”
The $12 million fund was established following a severe weather event in 2024, which significantly impacted the electricity network.
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