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Bundaberg, Queensland

Electricians in BundabergWhere the river and the storm season set the agenda.

Bundaberg's electrical risks follow the Burnett River and the summer storms. Flood-soaked wiring, storm-hit aerials and older timber and tin homes without safety switches all need a licensed electrician. Outages and fallen lines go to Ergon Energy, and we match the electrical job with one licence-checked local electrician who does that work, where we have one.

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Aerial view of Bundaberg beside the brown, flood-swollen Burnett River, with its bridges and the city spreading out behind.
Photo: Eug, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0, cropped

Floodwater in the house? Leave the power off

Don't switch anything back on that's been under water, and don't reach for the main switch if you'd have to stand in water to do it. A licensed electrician needs to test the wiring, power points and switchboard first. For storm damage to the house, the SES is on 132 500. For a fallen line, stay well back and call Ergon on 13 16 70.

Living with the Burnett

Bundaberg Regional Council lists moderate to large Burnett River floods in 1942, 1971, December 2010, January 2011 and January 2013. The 2013 flood was the most significant on record: more than 4,000 homes were inundated and about 5,000 North Bundaberg residents evacuated, with water up to 3 m deep in parts of North Bundaberg. East Bundaberg flooded from backwater near Saltwater and Bundaberg Creeks.

It hasn't gone away. In March 2026, Tropical Low 29U pushed the river above 7 metres and more than 200 residents had to leave. The council also says flash flooding is common across the region. For a home that's been through it, the electrical question is always the same: what got wet, and has someone tested it since?

Storm season and the power

The council says severe thunderstorms generally hit between January and March, and are also likely in April, November and December. It puts cyclone risk to the power plainly: a Category 2 brings a risk of power failure, a Category 3 makes failures likely, and a Category 4 brings widespread failures.

Its advice during severe weather is to unplug electrical items and external TV aerials. That's worth doing, and it's no substitute for surge protection at the board if you've lost appliances to storms before. On 26 January 2013, three tornadoes spawned by ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald hit Bargara, Burnett Heads and Coonarr, damaging 150 properties.

Bundaberg at a glance

Network: Ergon Energy

Bundaberg sits outside South East Queensland, so Ergon looks after the grid. Outages: 13 22 96. Fallen powerlines and shocks: 13 16 70.

Timber and tin

The council has made parts of some older suburbs with 'timber and tin' houses into neighbourhood character areas, alongside the heritage town centres of Bundaberg and Childers. Older homes like these can still have boards that predate safety switches.

Coastal growth

Bargara, 13 km east, grew from 6,893 people in 2011 to 8,883 in 2021, with modern holiday homes and units along the Esplanade.

Owners and renters

At the 2021 Census, 40.1% of occupied homes in the council area were owned outright and 27.1% were rented.

Jobs that come up in Bundaberg

Flood and storm repairs. Testing and replacing wet power points, wiring and pumps. Storm, flood and surge damage explains the process.

TV aerials. Storms knock them about, and the council suggests unplugging them in severe weather. TV antennas covers repairs and replacements.

Safety switches and old boards. Queensland landlords have 90 days from the start of a tenancy to fit an approved safety switch for the power points, and buyers have 90 days after possession.

Smoke alarms. Interconnected photoelectric alarms in every Queensland home by 1 January 2027.

If it were our Bundaberg home

We'd find out where our place sits on the council's flood maps, and if it's low-lying, ask an electrician whether the board, pool pump and outdoor power could sit higher when they're next replaced. Before storm season, we'd test the safety switches and keep Ergon's numbers handy. After any flood, nothing goes back on until it's been tested.

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Questions

Straight answers.

Should I unplug things when a big storm is coming?

Bundaberg Regional Council advises unplugging electrical items and external TV aerials during severe weather. If storms have cost you appliances before, ask an electrician about surge protection at the switchboard as well.

Who gets the power back on after a cyclone?

Ergon Energy restores the network. Report outages on 13 22 96 and fallen lines on 13 16 70. If your neighbours are back on and you're not, the fault is likely on your side and needs an electrician.

Our house went under. Can an electrician tell us what to keep?

Yes. An electrician tests the wiring, power points, switchboard and fixed appliances, and tells you what's safe, what can be dried and retested, and what has to be replaced. Keep everything off until then.

Ready for a sparky in Bundaberg?

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Related help

Helpful next

Storm, flood and surge damageAfter a storm, flood or lightning strike: what not to touch, who to call, and how the power gets back on safely.Whole-house surge protectionA surge protector in the switchboard: what it covers, what it can't, and when to add one.TV antenna installationAntenna, cabling or a power point behind the TV: who does which part, plus storm safety.Safety switchesNo test button on your board, or selling or renting: what safety switches do and when the law needs them.Smoke alarm laws in QueenslandQueensland's 2027 deadline, what a compliant alarm looks like, and who can fit hardwired or wireless ones.Electricians in QueenslandQLD licences, the 2027 smoke alarm deadline, safety switches at sale and rental, and Energex or Ergon.

Where this information comes from

Rules change, so check with your state regulator if something matters to your job. How we write and check these pages.

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