A WODONGA builder is predicting hundreds of people may not be able to move into their new homes because of a ban on connecting power to their residences.
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Lewis Homes owner John Lewis made the forecast amid telling of the impact of the stand-off between AusNet Services and the Electrical Trades Union.
“Power is an essential service, it enables people to work and to do everything we do in life,” Mr Lewis said.
“For the ETU to switch it off and not do connections is pretty poor and for AusNet not to deal with it is poor too.”
Mr Lewis said he had 20 homes affected including four properties which were due to be handed over in the next three to four weeks.
“If this keeps going we’re going to have hundreds of people not able to get into their homes,” he said.
To continue working on homes that would normally have an electricity supply in their final phase of construction he has brought in generators.
“It’s costing us about $4000 a month to run generators, we have to absorb that to keep working, we can’t push that on to the owner,” Mr Lewis said.
A new Wodonga home owner, who did not want to be identified, said he had to freeze construction on his house after his builder told him he would have to pay $100 a day to hire a generator.
He planned to move in this week from his rental home.
“We’re hoping for Easter and we’ve got a mortgage to pay for $1000 a month with interest,” the owner said.
Carpenter Ben Murphy, who subcontracts, said he had been forced to hire generators for different building sites.
“The longer the house sits there without power the more it turns into a nightmare because more tradies are coming in,” Mr Murphy said.
He said he was liable for the cost of the generators.
Mr Lewis said the ban on connections stopped certificates of occupancy being issued which in turn meant builders could not make their final claims, resulting in cash flow difficulties.
He wants industry bodies, such as the Master Builders Association or the Housing Industry Association, to intervene over the bans which relate to the enterprise agreement between the ETU and AusNet.
The ETU is seeking a pay rise for members as well as commitments on job security and investment in jobs and apprentices.
ETU organiser Justin Sordello said other power companies involved in operating Victorian infrastructure had agreed to deals more than a year ago.
MBA Victoria chief executive Radley de Silva said the dispute needed to be resolved urgently with builders, subcontractors and home owners hurting.
“We will look to understand the major issues that are keeping both parties apart and look at any role we can play to bring the parties together,” Mr de Silva said.
AusNet has said it will continue to work with the ETU and apologised to its customers for the inconvenience caused by the ban.
