Blacktown City Council is responding to significant damage caused by severe weather and gale force winds that hit the City earlier today.
The southern suburbs of the local government area have been hardest hit, with large numbers of fallen trees, damage across reserves and street networks, and multiple facility closures.
These include Minchinbury, Huntingwood, Mount Druitt, Arndell Park, Bungarribee, Doonside, Blacktown and Rooty Hill.
Council has mobilised 160 staff, including tree crews, greenspace services, the building maintenance team and contractors, who are working overtime to assess hazards and support community safety.
Council crews are prioritising risk-based work, with immediate focus on clearing blocked roads and driveways and making safe high-risk locations.
Mayor Brad Bunting said Council’s priority is ensuring public safety.
“The scale of damage from this afternoon’s weather event is significant,” Mayor Bunting said.
“Our teams responded quickly and are now working across the City to clear hazards, reopen roads and support residents. Please avoid storm-affected areas, particularly sites with fallen powerlines or unstable trees, and follow instructions from emergency services.”
Council operations have also been affected by weather conditions, with Council’s Rooty Hill Works Depot currently without power and isolated due to Station Street being closed as a result of fallen power lines.
Despite this challenge, Council outdoor crews continue to respond where it is safe to do so and we thank residents for their patience during this clean-up effort.
Current site impacts include:
- Major tree damage across streets and reserves in the south of Blacktown City.
- Nurragingy Reserve and the Blacktown Showground are closed after a combined 100 trees came down, with power infrastructure affected.
- Blacktown Aquatic Centre is closed for the rest of the day due to fallen powerlines in the car park.
- Charlie Lowles Leisure Centre Emerton is closed due to a power outage.
- Endeavour Energy is reporting more than 60,000 properties without power, and the number is increasing.
Given the extent of damage, clean-up efforts are expected to continue for a number of weeks, the Council said in a statement.
Residents requiring assistance should follow these steps:
- For emergency help with a tree on private property, call NSW SES on 132 500.
- For a fallen tree on public land, call Council on 5300 6000.
A weather alert and key emergency contact information are currently live on Council’s website. Further updates will be provided as assessments continue.
