Water got into power points or the board?
Don't switch anything back on that's been wet until a licensed electrician has tested it. Turn off the main switch only if you can reach it without standing in water. If a line is down or someone gets a shock, call Energex on 13 19 62, or 000 if a life is at risk.
What's different about Stafford
Kedron Brook
It meanders through Stafford towards Moreton Bay. In 2022 the Kedron Brook Floodway broke its weir at several points, and water reached houses in the surrounding suburbs.
Housing Commission roots
Council's heritage citation says Stafford stayed semi-rural until the tram reached Stafford Road in 1940. A Housing Commission estate then went in east of Webster Road during World War Two.
Quarter-acre postwar blocks
Wikipedia notes a significant number of postwar Commission homes on quarter-acre blocks, plus some original Queenslanders.
Nearly half rented
At the 2021 Census, 48.6% of homes in Stafford were rented and 24.2% were flats or apartments.
Jobs that come up in Stafford, and why
Checks after water. Anything below the flood line, like downstairs power points or a board in a garage, needs testing before it's trusted again. The storm and flood damage page covers what an electrician looks at.
Landlord rules. With so many rentals, two Queensland rules matter most. If the power points have no approved safety switch, the owner has 90 days from the start of a tenancy to fit one. And every home needs interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms by 1 January 2027.
Old boards in Commission houses. The Queensland Government says switchboards and meter boards made before 2004 may contain asbestos, and timber meter boxes from before 1990 can be lined with asbestos cement sheeting. Leave it closed. An electrician who works on older boards will check it.
If it were our Stafford place
If the brook came anywhere near your house in 2022 and nobody has tested the circuits since, we'd start there. Then the smoke alarms, because that deadline doesn't move.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.