The outage is due to the relocation of electrical services – a critical part of the commencement of road construction for the extension that will ensure the main civil works can commence later in February as planned.

Phil Miles, Council’s Capital Works Section Manager, says the timing of the outage was managed to ensure it fell outside of the school holidays.

"We're as excited as the rest of the community to keep the ball rolling and get this work started, but we were careful to ensure the impact on visitors and businesses during this peak visitor period were not affected."

Council staff and a representative from Council's contractor for the works, Nexus Power, consulted with occupants likely to be effected by the outage on Wednesday 24 January 2018 and are recommending residents and businesses follow their usual processes for a planned power outage. Information can be found at www.ausgrid.com.au, search 'how to prepare' or 'heatwave'.

Mr Miles says the extension of Yacaaba Street is designed to open up the Nelson Bay town centre to the waterfront.

“With better visibility and accessibility between the CBD and the foreshore, as well as a fresh new space for people to enjoy, we expect the Yacaaba Street extension will drive visitation to the precinct and boost the local economy,” he said.

For more information about the Yacaaba Street extension and progress updates, visit Council’s Have Your Say website.

For more information about the planned outage prior to Friday 2 February 2018, please contact Council's Capital Works Program Coordinator, Barry McDaid, on 4988 0278.

For information during the outage on Sunday 4 February 2018, please contact Daniel Bevan at Nexus Power on 0420 969 789.