Generators for Mackay

Mackay sees fewer cyclones up close than towns to the north, and only one since 1970, Dawn in 1976, has come within 50 km. But a storm doesn't need to cross nearby to cut the power for days. Debbie crossed the Whitsunday islands as a category 4 before making landfall near Airlie Beach on 28 March 2017. The next day, 54% of Mackay was without power, and on 30 March the mayor said 68% of the 51,000 properties in the council area were off. Ten transmission towers south-west of the city were also badly damaged.

Ului crossed near Airlie Beach as a category 3 early on Sunday 21 March 2010 and cut power to about 60,000 households around Mackay, Proserpine, Sarina and Bowen. About 30,000 homes were still off on the Monday evening. Koji crossed between Ayr and Bowen as a tropical low in January 2026, and about 23,000 Ergon customers lost power, mainly in the Mackay and Whitsunday regions.

Debbie's remnant low dropped 986 mm on the Clarke Range west of Mackay in 48 hours, and the Pioneer River flooded. During the outage, the mayor said 14 sewerage pump stations had no power. Residents were also asked to save water, with about half a day's supply left. During Koji, council cut off water to Pinnacle and Gargett and asked Mackay residents to conserve water again.

A cyclone isn't the only risk. In February 2008, more than 600 mm of rain fell in about six hours and up to 4,000 houses flooded. Two major transformers on the northside had to be isolated, and Ergon brought in a large mobile generator to keep about 200 Mt Pleasant customers on. Your own generator keeps the fridge cold, fans turning and phones charged until the grid is back.

• Fridge, lights, phones and a laptop: a 2 to 3.5 kVA inverter.
• Plus the TV, microwave and fans: 3.5 to 5 kVA.
• Anything that boils or toasts: only a generator or power station rated higher than the appliance's label will run it, so keep a 1,000 W power station for overnight jobs like the fridge, lights and phones.
• Most of the house, split system included: 7 to 10 kVA petrol, or 8 to 12 kVA diesel for long runs.
• The whole house with ducted air: 10 kVA and up, usually diesel.
• Shop, office or cool room backup: 10 to 20 kVA diesel.

Mackay is a service hub for mining equipment and services in the Bowen and Galilee basins, and the region produces about a third of Australia's cane sugar. Three phase sets suit workshops and farm pumps with three phase motors, and a motor started direct on line needs about 3.6 kVA for every kW. Try our Generator Finder, or browse 3 to 8 kVA and 8 to 15 kVA generators.

On the Monday evening after Ului in 2010, about 30,000 homes across the region were still without power. When an outage stretches into the night, a power station lets you switch the generator off and still keep the fridge, lights and phones going, in silence.

Our Hyundai HY2000Si and HYPS1000 bundle is made for exactly that, and together they cost less than buying each one separately. By day, the 2 kVA HY2000Si runs the fridge and lights and recharges the 1,000 W HYPS1000. This pair isn't for the kettle, though: the HYPS1000 won't run one, and most kettles draw more than the HY2000Si can supply. For a little more output and storage, the MaxWatt MXPRO2600I gives 1,300 W continuous and 1,310 Wh, though it isn't a kettle unit either. Compare all our portable power stations.

Heavy rain can cut the Bruce Highway on both sides of Mackay. In February 2026 it flooded at Goorganga Plains to the north and at Ilbilbie to the south. Buy before November while the roads are open, test-run it at home, store fuel safely and start it once a month.

Most generators up to 10 kVA ship free to Mackay, and freight on the rest is calculated at checkout. Those checkout rates assume delivery to capital cities and major centres. If your address costs more to reach, we'll ring before dispatch with the difference, and you can go ahead or cancel for a full refund. Your order comes from our store or straight from the supplier warehouse nearest you. Most leave within 1 to 5 business days and arrive within 3 to 8 business days of ordering. Sets over about 1 tonne take 1 to 2 weeks to dispatch and must be unloaded with a forklift, crane or tractor forks. We'll call first to confirm access, whether it's a house in town, a workshop or a cane farm.

Plugging a generator into a power point to run the house is illegal. It backfeeds the grid and can kill the line workers repairing it. The safe way is a changeover switch and inlet, fitted by a licensed electrician, so the generator runs your circuits. Read how a changeover switch installation works. Run the generator outside, away from doors and windows, because its exhaust can kill, and keep it on dry ground, clear of floodwater.