Latest news with #Ausgrid
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Days of chaos ahead after burst pipe causes evacuation
One of the country's busiest courthouses will be closed for the rest of the week after hundreds of people were forced to evacuate when an emergency was declared. Judges and magistrates had just taken the bench to hear 550 cases in Sydney's Downing Centre courtrooms on Tuesday morning when the power suddenly went out throughout the building. After a few moments of confusion, an alert asked everyone to leave the building immediately due to a "street emergency". Crowds of lawyers, judicial staff, accused criminals, and schoolkids on an excursion streamed down fire escape staircases onto Liverpool Street in the city centre. Thirteen prisoners being held in the court complex were moved by police and prison staff as a precaution. During the chaos, three people became trapped in elevators inside the court complex and needed to be rescued by Fire and Rescue NSW. The culprit was a burst pipe, which gushed water onto Castlereagh and Goulburn streets, where barriers had been set up to divert traffic. Ausgrid said the burst water main had flooded an underground substation in the city, causing a power outage that affected about 860 customers - including the courthouse. The flooding affected all electrical and IT systems for the Downing Centre and John Madison Tower, a Department of Communities and Justice spokesperson said. While power has been restored to some parts of the court precinct, Ausgrid has warned it might take several days to assess the damage and restore power after the complex outage. The justice department spokesperson said the damage to the Downing Centre's electrical room was "significant" and critical equipment would likely need to be replaced. The department expects the eight-level courthouse will be closed for the rest of the week. Cases scheduled to be heard at the Downing Centre would be moved to other courthouses or be rescheduled, the spokesperson said. Sydney Water will continue repairing the water main overnight after technicians stemmed the flow about an hour after the water started pouring onto the street. The courthouse was among about 400 electricity customers that remained without power on Tuesday afternoon, according to Ausgrid. The cause of the water main rupture is unknown as NSW Police and Fire and Rescue NSW investigate. It comes two weeks after a refurbishment of the department-store-turned-courthouse was announced. At least five new courtrooms and 10 virtual courtrooms will be created during the $34.5 million upgrade of the Downing Centre and John Maddison Tower, according to the state government. The funding forms part of a half-billion-dollar push to beef up the state justice system and support victim-survivors.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Chaos as burst water main shuts down Sydney's busiest court and plunges thousands into darkness
A burst water pipe has wreaked havoc across Sydney 's CBD as court rooms were evacuated after thousands were plunged into darkness. Attendees of Downing Centre local court were pictured standing on the pavement outside on Tuesday morning after the water main burst on Liverpool Street. Journalists, lawyers and their clients were evacuated about 9.45am after court rooms suddenly went dark just minutes into proceedings. Ausgrid said almost 1,200 sites were impacted by the unplanned outages. Buildings on Elizabeth Street, Pitt Street, Goulburn Street, Park Street and Market Street are affected with repairs currently underway. Power is expected to return between 12pm and 12.30 on Tuesday, Ausgrid said. A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Communities and Justice told Daily Mail Australia the extent of the disruptions are not yet clear. 'The burst water main was on Castlereagh Street. It caused a power outage in the Downing Centre and some neighbouring buildings,' they said. 'Downing Centre was evacuated as a precaution.
Daily Mail
03-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Aussie tradie dies in horror workplace accident while operating cherry picker near powerlines
An Aussie tradie and endometriosis advocate has died in a freak workplace accident while operating a cherry picker near powerlines during a storm. Distribution line worker for Ausgrid, Brett Hinton, was operating a cherry picker near powerlines in Randwick, south-east of Sydney CBD, during a storm on May 22. Emergency services were called to Darley Road after receiving reports the 47-year-old had been seriously injured. Paramedics rushed Mr Hinton to St Vincent's Hospital in a critical condition but he was unable to be saved. Mr Hinton was a passionate campaigner for women's health and advocated to fight and cure endometriosis. He became a powerful voice in the women's health community after witnessing his wife suffer from the debilitating condition.
News.com.au
02-06-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Endo campaigner Brett Hinton dies in a freak workplace accident
An Aussie tradie who was a tireless endometriosis campaigner has tragically died in a serious workplace accident. On Thursday, 22 May 2025, Brett Hinton, a distribution line worker for Ausgrid, died in a freak accident in Sydney's east while operating a cherry picker near powerlines during the Sydney storms. Emergency services were called to the scene after receiving reports that the 47-year-old had been seriously injured. He was taken to St Vincent's Hospital in a critical condition and subsequently died. A GoFundMe page was created at the request of Mr Hinton's colleagues to support his partner during this difficult time. 'Brett was a dedicated and highly respected Distribution Lineworker at Ausgrid, where he served with skill and commitment for over 13 years,' the GoFundMe page read. 'His professionalism, warmth, and unwavering work ethic left a lasting impact on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.' Mr Hinton was also a passionate advocate for women's health and an ally in the fight against endometriosis. In the final year of his life, he became an unexpected but powerful voice in the endometriosis community. After witnessing his partner's experience with the debilitating condition, he took it upon himself to help other men understand what living with endo truly means. Mr Hinton became a passionate ambassador, writing a now widely shared opinion piece encouraging other men to #ManUpForEndo. 'I'm not an emotional bloke, but when I heard Marty Sheargold say on air that 'endometriosis is made up', I saw red,' the article began. He went on to discuss how comments like that perpetuate the stigma, cause women to feel dismissed, and hinder genuine change from occurring. He called upon Aussies to educate themselves on the condition, which one in seven women in Australia have, and particularly urged men to 'Stop brushing off women's pain'. His story was picked up by the Today Show, and he did scores of radio interviews across Australia. After the devastating news broke, his community took to social media platforms to share their condolences. 'His bravery, empathy and willingness to speak up made him a brilliant and authentic ally for women everywhere living with this invisible illness,' one said. 'Let's honour Brett's legacy by continuing the important work he so boldly championed.' 'This is the most devastating news ever. Brett Hinton was such an amazing friend and father and his loss is immeasurable. May he rest eternally in peace and his family and loved ones somehow heal from this tragedy,' a woman wrote.
News.com.au
29-05-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Randwick Council votes to consider ban on election corflutes on power poles
A local Sydney council has voted to consider a total ban on election corflutes on all public infrastructure, citing 'visual pollution' and a perceived 'impost on campaigns' for the move. Randwick Council voted 9-5 on Tuesday night to pass a motion from Greens councillor Masmoomeh Asgari for council staff to report on reducing election waste material and banning corflutes on council property, including parking poles. 'In the past three years we have had two federal elections, a state election and a local government election and in each case large amounts of waste have been produced in the form of corflutes and paper (how-to-votes and flyers) in order to inform voters about candidates, their policies and how they should vote,' the motion states. 'Corflute waste is a particular issue in Randwick. Ausgrid have banned them on telegraph poles, so the main display structures are council's parking poles and the like. 'This annoys residents due to the visual pollution, the inconvenience of placement and the litter, including from plastic ties. 'Informing voters is essential in a democracy but it's time to investigate how this can be done with less waste.' The potential ban follows a burst of corflute controversy in the May 3 federal election, including furious debate over where exactly corflutes are permitted. Footage of federal independent MP Monique Ryan's husband Peter Jordan pulling down a corflute of Liberal challenger Amelia Hamer went viral on social media during the heated Kooyong contest in Melbourne. The footage shows Mr Jordan walking away with the Hamer placard, with a Liberal Party supporter pursuing him. Mr Jordan claims the sign had been illegally placed on public land. 'I'm taking the sign down … it's on public land … I'm not saying who I am,' Mr Jordan says in the video. Responding to the kerfuffle, the Australian Electoral Commission said it did not regulate the placement of political signage. 'Signage on public land is generally a matter for local council,' the AEC said. Later, Mr Jordan apologised for the blow up. 'I unreservedly apologise for removing the sign. It was a mistake,' he said. 'I believed the sign was illegally placed, but I should have reported my concerns to council.' South Australia, meanwhile, has banned corflutes from public roads, trees and poles in state and federal elections. Randwick, which takes in Sydney's eastern beach suburbs, sits within the federal electorates of Wentworth and Kingsford Smith. Liberal councillor Christie Hamilton voted against the motion on Tuesday night, telling NewsWire candidate posters served an important democratic function. 'I don't think we should ban them everywhere,' she said. 'They trigger for people that there is an election coming. It is up to the parties and candidates to do all they can do to put their candidates out there and it needs to be visual. 'It can't just be words on a page, they need to see who the person is. And if they see them on the street, they can come up and talk to them. 'It's part of the democratic process.' Ms Hamilton said Ms Asgari's motion had come about because of Greens anger over their corflutes being taken down during campaigns. 'Everyone gets their corflutes taken down,' she said. '(Liberal Wentworth candidate) Ro Knox had her corflutes taken down. There's nothing you can do about it. 'She (Ro Knox) put up funny stickers saying, 'please don't steal my corflutes'. You try to combat it with a bit of humour.' A report on the motion is expected within six months and Ms Hamilton said that vote on the report's recommendation would be the crucial one to watch for. 'When it comes back with the recommendation, that's when the real fight will start,' she said. 'I don't think Labor (councillors) will do it.'
