Beaconsfield Upper Community Centre is set to receive $220,000 as a major grant recipient of AusNet's Energy Resilience Community Fund.
The AusNet grant will fund the creation of a community resilience hub at Upper Beaconsfield Community Centre and Hall, located in Cardinia Shire.
AusNet Executive General Manager Distribution, Andrew Linnie, said funding for the Upper Beaconsfield Community Centre will go towards a full battery energy storage system and back-up generator.
"This funding will enable the Community Centre to operate as an energy resilience hub; a place for community members to charge devices, connect with other community members, and receive council-led relief services."
"It will also enable onsite daycare services to continue during emergency events and prolonged power outages," said Mr Linnie.
This region has an extreme bushfire fire risk and is prone to high impact storm and wind events which can impact power infrastructure and cause long-term outages.
"This makes funding for the creation of an emergency resilience hub in Beaconsfield particularly important," said Mr Linnie.
Cardinia Shire Council Mayor, Jack Kowarzik welcomed AusNet's support for the Cardinia region.
"We are thrilled to welcome this investment from AusNet, which will enable Upper Beaconsfield to be better prepared to face the challenges of extreme weather events and energy disruptions," said Mayor Kowarzik.
AusNet's Energy Resilience Community Fund supports projects that will help build long-term community energy resilience and provide support to communities during severe weather events.
"We know how important energy is to our communities' and customers' lives. That's why we're actively investing in our network to improve reliability and resilience. Also, through these grants we're building community energy resilience and helping people to stay connected and safe during prolonged outages and emergencies," said Mr Linnie.
AusNet established the $12 million Energy Resilience Community Fund following the storms in February last year, to support projects across AusNet's electricity distribution network in eastern and north-eastern Victoria, and Melbourne's north and east. To date, AusNet has provided $7.2 million in grants and donations.
