Terrigal at a glance
A fast change
Terrigal has become substantially more urban since the 1970s, when it had one market, one medical centre and several orchards.
Units and holiday homes
At the 2021 Census, 71.0% of homes were separate houses and 21.5% were flats or apartments. 13.8% of dwellings were unoccupied, and 24.0% of occupied homes were rented.
Wind off the sea
In the April 2015 East Coast Low, gusts reached 135 km/h at nearby Norah Head, the highest ever recorded in NSW in April.
Erosion next door
At neighbouring Wamberal, 2020 storms highlighted beach erosion, with beachfront houses reported at risk in July 2020 and July 2021.
Ausgrid
Terrigal is on Ausgrid's network. Outages go to 13 13 88.
What Terrigal homes need most
Units: EV chargers, air conditioning and switchboard work in strata buildings, where the committee usually has a say. Energy NSW says a Level 2 wallbox in an apartment needs strata approval.
Holiday homes: outdoor lighting on sensors, smoke alarms that are in date, and a safety switch check before the summer crowds arrive. A place that sits closed up can hide a fault until the first guests switch everything on.
After a big blow: outdoor lights, power points and air conditioning units on exposed decks take the weather. If a storm has damaged anything electrical, leave it off until it's been checked. See storm and flood damage.
When a storm knocks the power out
Check whether it's just you
If the neighbours are dark too, it's an Ausgrid outage. Report it on 13 13 88 or check its outage map.
Stay clear of fallen lines
Keep at least 8 metres away, and call 000 if anyone is in danger.
Try your safety switch once
If only your house is out, reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off.
Get the right help
The SES (132 500) helps with storm damage to the house. An electrician checks anything electrical that got wet or hit.
Our take for Terrigal
If you own a holiday place, book an electrical check in spring, while there's still time to fix what it finds before the season. In a unit, raise any EV charger or switchboard idea with the strata manager first: it saves a wasted site visit.
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.