Lake water in the house? Leave the power off
If floodwater has reached power points, the switchboard or anything sitting low, keep the main switch off and stay clear of wet fittings. Ausgrid says a flood-damaged home has to be checked by a qualified electrician before power goes back on, and outdoor units like air conditioners and pool pumps stay off until they've been inspected. Fallen lines go to Ausgrid on 13 13 88: keep at least 8 metres away.
What shapes electrical work around the lake
One of Ausgrid's regions
Ausgrid's guidelines treat Lake Macquarie, Newcastle and Port Stephens as one region of its network. Ausgrid restores supply after faults; your retailer arranges any new or replacement meter.
A lake with a flood record
The highest recorded lake flood was on 18 June 1949, at 1.25 metres AHD. Council's flood study estimated 7,500 lakeside properties would be affected by a 1% AEP flood today, and 9,500 with a 0.90 metre sea level rise.
Water creeping up
Council says levels at the Belmont gauge have risen 3.2 mm a year over the last 37 years, and it's writing adaptation plans for low-lying lakeside areas.
Mining villages
Catherine Hill Bay was set up in 1865 for coal miners, and most of its cottages were built by the mining company with weatherboard or fibro walls. Subsidence Advisory NSW lists districts named Lake Macquarie, West Lake, Swansea Heads and Mandalong, among others.
Bush on the southern edge
The Doyalson fire of October 2013 burned over 2,600 hectares around Cams Wharf, Catherine Hill Bay, Lake Munmorah and Nords Wharf and destroyed 4 houses.
Mostly owner-occupied houses
At the 2021 Census, 85.2% of homes were separate houses and 23.2% were rented. The median age was 42.
The jobs that come up most around the lake
Flood and storm repairs. After water gets in, every wet circuit needs testing, and power points, switches or appliances that sat under water usually get replaced. An electrician who does storm and flood work can also tell you which outdoor gear sits lowest and is most at risk next time.
Old switchboards in old villages. Cottages from the mining days have often been rewired in stages. A board on a black or dark brown backing panel made before 1987 can contain asbestos, so it's handled differently. See asbestos switchboards.
Solar from late November. New and upgraded solar on Ausgrid's network has to be emergency backstop enabled under rules phasing in from 23 November 2026. Without reliable internet, a home is held to a 1.5 kW export limit.
If we lived on the lake
We'd find out how high the water has come at our address, then make sure nothing important sits below that line: the switchboard, outdoor power points, the pool pump and the air conditioner's outdoor unit. On an older cottage, we'd get the board assessed first, because everything else depends on it.
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.