Upper North hit by massive power cut

BY MICHAEL FIELD

Armed police were needed to help Transpower gain access to power lines over a Waikato farm after the landowner refused to let the company fix a major power fault this afternoon.

A power cable hit trees on the farm of Steve Meier today, causing a fire which led to a power grid emergency.

Power was affected between Huntly and Cape Reinga, with Aucklanders experiencing rolling power outages as Transpower and Vector attempted to conserve energy in the area.

Power to the Auckland network is expected to be progressively restored by 8.30pm, Vector said this evening. Hot water outages would continue, possibly as late as tomorrow.

Transpower head Patrick Strange told Radio NZ that up to 10 per cent of the region had been hit by the outages. Power to Auckland had been cut to about 5000 homes by lines company Northpower at the request of Transpower.

Dr Strange said Transpower had problems accessing the property where the fire had occurred.

But Mr Meier told Campbell Live he had informed Transpower years ago, and again recently, that the trees below the lines needed trimming.

"Eighteen months ago they came to do this work and because TV3 was invited to film them working on landowners' land, Transpower would not let it happen, and they withdrew all work," he said.

But Dr Strange told Campbell Live that Mr Meiers had refused to allow the company access to the farm this afternoon .

"We've been having a hard relationship with Mr Meier, probably the most difficult in the country.

"We have been trying to get on the land for some months, we've been sending him notices saying we needed to do tree-trimming...

"When the fire was on this afternoon and we tried to attend to it, he still blocked us and we had to basically have over 10 police, I think, on site to allow us to go onto the land."

Mr Meier said Transpower was tonight "illegally on his property" while working on the fault.

Outages 'completely unacceptable'

Auckland Mayor John Banks told Stuff.co.nz the outage was "completely unacceptable" and Transpower had to be held accountable for it.

The main areas affected were: Remuera, Ponsonby, Epsom, East Tamaki, Freemans Bay, Manukau, Mt Wellington, Newmarket, Onehunga, Birkdale, Beachhaven, Northcote, Glenfield, Manly, Helensville, Hauraki, Forest Hill, East Coast Road, Albany and Belmont.

"We fully appreciate the frustration that outages can cause and we will do our utmost to minimise their impact while normal operations on the transmission system are restored," Vector said earlier in a statement.

"It is essential to take this action in order to prevent a major outage of greater duration and spread."

But Mr Banks said the outages would end up costing residents and Auckland businesses a "lot of money".

He said there would be "wastage" due to gridlock being endured by motorists on the road, frozen goods melting, service industries not able to serve and disruption generally.

"This will cause a lot of hardship on a broad front," he said.

Police Inspector Chris Robinson said large parts of Auckland city were affected, particularly traffic lights causing rush hour chaos.

The city last year lost the electricity twice last year including one major incident in which the Marsden Point oil refinery was forced to close.

Newmarket Business Association chief executive Cameron Brewer said power to half of Newmarket's businesses was cut about 4.45pm.

The outage "[did] nothing to inspire confidence in the security of electricity supply into Auckland", he said.

"Power cuts seem to have become a regular event in Auckland and it's fast becoming beyond a joke."

Water shortages also a problem

Meanwhile, Tauranga residents had been advised to conserve water following a major electrical fault at the Joyce Road Water Processing Plant.

The city's water supply was being used faster than it can be supplied, Tauranga City Council said.

Some areas in Mount Maunganui, Papamoa, Welcome Bay and Ohauiti were likely to experience a lack of water pressure.

Some areas might not receive any water supply tonight, the council said.

Water supply to the affected areas had been switched over to the Oropi Water Processing Plant while repairs were made.

- With NZPA