Sunday blackout extended

VEHICLES follow the detour off Ohaupo Road, while work is carried out on Taylor’s Hill during Sunday’s ‘black out’. 094061AD

Sunday’s longer than advertised power blackout was caused by a combination of unfavourable weather and problems encountered with pole replacement near Karapiro.

Transpower communications manager Chris Roberts says the company apologises to all residents affected by the longer blackout, which saw power restored at almost 6pm rather than the scheduled 4pm.

“We had planned to have the power back on in time for dairy farmers and for householders cooking meals, but replacement of a pole that was in an unsafe condition threw up extra problems.”

Waipa Networks used the planned outage to carry out maintenance work at 25 sites on the Te Awamutu network. The company called in around 50 additional contract linesmen to help carry out the work during the shutdown. Although inclement weather slowed progress, that work was completed by 3.30pm.

Former Te Awamutu Electric Power Board chairman John Dudley says he recalls a commitment made at a conference in the 1960s by the NZED to build an extra supply line for Te Awamutu.