Post-Incident-Review-(PIR)
TasNetworks response to storms in August/September 2024
TasNetworks is committed to implementing the recommendations of a review into unprecedented storms in late-August/early-September 2024. The findings of the review by Renewables, Climate and Future Industries Tasmania (ReCFIT) released in May 2025 align strongly with an independent post-incident (PIR) review conducted by TasNetworks.
Both reviews recommend that TasNetworks undertake improvements in enhanced communications, strengthening our processes, improving customer resilience and support and continuous improvement.
TasNetworks remains committed to making improvements to the way that we prevent, prepare, respond and recover from the impacts of significant climate events.
Post Incident Review (PIR)
In August 2024, Tasmania experienced one of the most significant natural disasters in recent memory. A severe storm from August 26 lasted five days, bringing heavy rain, flooding, and destructive winds up to 156 km/h.
For some customers, power restoration took up to 23 days, with over 200,000 customer connections affected and up to 47,000 customers without power at the storm’s peak. Some remote communities endured outages for up to 20 days due to safety and accessibility challenges. The event was declared a natural disaster by state and federal governments.
To improve future responses, TasNetworks commissioned a Post Incident Review (PIR) in September 2024, focusing on lessons learned and areas for improvement. The review highlighted both strengths and opportunities for change.
Key Strengths
- Strong leadership presence in the field
- Effective field response and safety culture
- Engagement of third-party crews
- Positive community sentiment
- Outstanding efforts from frontline employees
The PIR has been complemented by the release of ReCFIT’s review, which was released in May 2025, which makes similar recommendations. A copy of this review is available here.
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Initiatives we have already delivered
- Enhanced preparedness and resilience
- Building community preparedness and resilience through education and engagement most recently at Agfest
- Established an internal community resilience working group
- Strengthened capabilities
- Delivered nationally recognised incident management training to key staff and executive
- Supported key staff undertake nationally recognised emergency management training
- Improved support
- Updated information on TasNetworks’ website to help customers prepare for storms and prolonged outages
- Increased support for larger distribution customers
- Continuous improvement
- Developed pre-built communication templates to be used during future events
- Reviewed TasNetworks’ storm fault response procedure and identified opportunities for improvement
- Developed an action plan with stakeholders across the enterprise
- Enhanced preparedness and resilience
TasNetworks is committed to learning from this event and improving our emergency response to better support the Tasmanian community.
Post Incident Review (PIR) Full Report
The full Post Incident Review (PIR) report can be found below.
Independent Assessment of the PIR
The Independent Assessment of the PIR can be found below.
Customer Experience Report
The full Verian Customer Experience Report can be found below.
Independent Reviews of TasNetworks' Storm Response
TasNetworks engaged Mike Swanston from The Customer Advocate (TCA) to provide a third-party independent assessment of the Post Incident Review (PIR). Mike is an experienced engineer with over forty years knowledge of design, development and operation of distribution power networks in Australia, including lead roles in the response to storm and flooding events.
Additionally, Verian conducted a Customer Experience Review to assess customer and stakeholder perceptions of TasNetworks’ communication during the storm event and recovery process.
Next Steps
A project team has been formed to implement the Post Incident Review (PIR) actions.
TasNetworks is committed to these improvements, with progress overseen by the Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee (ARCC) to strengthen the network and enhance future emergency response.
TasNetworks will be focusing on a number of key priorities and initiatives in enhanced communications, strengthening its processes, improving customer resilience and support and continuous improvement.
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Key priorities and initiatives
- Enhanced Communication - TasNetworks can provide timely and accurate outage information to customers and the community.
- Communications: Enhance policies and procedures to ensure customers are provided with sound direction, advice, and timeframes.
- Systems uplift: Optimise and integrate the systems that support operations and communication.
- Strengthened Processes - TasNetworks emergency management policies and procedures are contemporary, well understood and rehearsed.
- Response & restoration: Review procedures and protocols that support response and restoration during a significant event.
- Training & coordination: Enhance incident management training and partnerships with external agencies.
- Improved Resilience & Support - TasNetworks builds community resilience through education, support and engagement.
- Education & engagement: Build resilience in the Tasmanian community.
- Support recovery: Review and refine how we support customers during an event.
- Resilience strategy: Develop a strategy that mitigates the risks of climate events impacting our network.
- Continuous Improvement - TasNetworks continuously improves operations to meet safety, service, performance, and innovation goals.
- Data driven: Investigate the use of network data to improve operational efficiency.
- Scalability: Explore options to scale workforce in cases of emergencies.
- Culture: Enhance behaviour to ensure safety and operational targets are achieved.
- Enhanced Communication - TasNetworks can provide timely and accurate outage information to customers and the community.