Concern over power network allegations

Bryan Cadogan.
Bryan Cadogan.
Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan is concerned over accusations the power network in his region has been dangerously mismanaged.

Mr Cadogan was responding to comments  from Marlborough Lines chairman David Dew that OtagoNet had "very similar" issues to the ones Aurora was facing.

OtagoNet operates the lines network in the Clutha district, parts of Central Otago and coastal Otago from Waitati to Palmerston and Marlborough Lines was its majority shareholder until 2014.

Mr Cadogan said Mr Dew’s comments were a concern and he planned to seek assurances from PowerNet chief executive Jason Franklin that the network was being managed safely.

The situation was slightly different from the one  the Dunedin City Council was facing, as the Clutha District Council had no stake in the ownership of OtagoNet, while Dunedin did with Aurora and Delta.

However, he was concerned from a safety perspective and wanted assurances the network was being maintained to a standard "we would fairly be expecting".

"I am certainly interested to see where this goes."

Central Otago district Maniototo ward councillor and Maniototo Community Board member  Stuart Duncan said PowerNet was doing a good job of managing the network in the Maniototo. He had seen much activity in recent times in terms of replacing infrastructure, including on his farm in White Sow Valley, and upgrading the network to meet fresh demand from new irrigation.

"Put it this way, we have got a lot of poles in our place that have been replaced in the last year.

"I think they  have done an extremely good job and our local guys have worked really hard at getting round and getting a lot of poles done," Mr Duncan said.

The accusations against OtagoNet come after Aurora came up with a $30million plan to replace close to 3000 poles in its network across Dunedin and Central Otago after whistleblower Richard Healey went public with concerns the network was in a dangerous state of disrepair.

vaughan.elder@odt.co.nz

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