Hundreds of residents will be forced out of their homes, with no compensation, for five days because of a planned upgrade of an electricity substation at Rockdale.
Ausgrid is carrying out the upgrade for five days from May 10 to 14, and will cut off the electricity supply to all homes in the Rockdale Plaza residential complex, which consists of three residential towers.
Power will also be cut off to the Rockdale Plaza shopping centre, which is owned by Charter Hall.
But while the plaza will bring in generators so shopkeepers can keep trading, the residents must move out.
And no one can agree who is to blame, with Ausgrid blaming the owners corporation for the decision.
Joseph Galace owns an apartment in one of the residential buildings and believes both Ausgrid and the owners corporation are partly to blame.
"Because of Ausgrid's decision to cut power supply, the owners corporation has made a decision to order everyone to evacuate the complex at our own cost," he said.
"Ausgrid, we were told, would not be providing any form of assistance to residents forced to evacuate.
"It is unbelievable that a company can cut power supply to residents for a period of five long days without providing any form of assistance to residents.
"Finding alternative accommodation is not a simple or inexpensive exercise.
"It will have serious implications not just to residents, but perhaps to immediate families who may be called to assist.
"What happens to those who cannot afford to stay in hotels or have no relatives they can move to, or who are physically incapable to move?
"Does Ausgrid have no responsibility whatsoever?"
Mr Galace said after he made a formal complaint to Ausgrid, he was told it was important to carry out the upgrade and the decision to evacuate was made by the owners corporation.
"Ausgrid says that it is the owners corporation's responsibility to look after its residents," he said.
"I am appealing to Ausgrid to provide some form of assistance to Rockdale Plaza residents who are forced to evacuate or to the owners corporation, for example providing a power generator to avoid the evacuation."
There are three separate owners corporations managing the buildings, which are overseen by an umbrella committee.
Mr Galace said he was shocked the owner's corporation was not supporting his calls for Ausgrid to provide compensation.
Mr Galace rents out his apartment so will not have to move, but will miss out on a week's rent and feels for tenants who were left with no choice but to find alternate accommodation.
An Ausgrid spokeswoman said the organisation had been consulting with Rockdale Plaza owners corporations, shopping centre management and Charter Hall for more than two years to negotiate the outage of Rockdale Plaza so essential substation upgrades could be completed.
"The substation was commissioned in 1998 and its protection equipment needs to be upgraded to help prevent a potential fire, catastrophic loss of the substation and its equipment, and the risk of fatality for any person who may be working in the substation at the time," she said.
"Recovery from such an event would take weeks, during which time Rockdale Plaza would be without any electricity supply.
"The upgrade requires a complete shutdown of the substation.
"Ausgrid considered an option of splitting the works over multiple outages/days, but this was voted against by stakeholders, including Rockdale Plaza owners corporations, shopping centre management and representatives of Charter Hall at the 2019 annual general meeting of Rockdale Plaza owners corporations."
She said work would start on Monday and was expected to be completed on Friday, May 14.
"These dates were requested by the stakeholders (Rockdale Plaza owners corporations, shopping centre management and representatives of Charter Hall) at a November 2020 meeting," she said.
"All customers being interrupted were advised about alternate supply (generators) during this period.
"Rockdale Plaza owners corporations voted not to take up this option and made a resolution to vacate the buildings.
"Rockdale Plaza shopping centre has elected to connect mobile generators to continue trading during this period.
"Ausgrid apologises for any inconvenience but the required work is unavoidable given the risk associated with not carrying out the upgrade."
State MP for Rockdale Steve Kamper has been contacted by a number of those affected.
"I have requested urgent intervention and assistance from the Minister for the residents of Rockdale Plaza," he said.
"I am deeply concerned they will be left without power for such an extended period.
"This is the consequence of privatising a public electricity network."
