Council accused of ‘unsafe and hasty decision making’ on electric lines

The local resident Tony Drozdzak and Deputy Ingrid Leary say that the new energy posts will be dangerous.
Photo: Krystal Gibbens

The City of Invercargill must do the “correct” and revoke the consent for the new giant power lines, says the deputy of Taieri.

Around 144 properties will be affected by the update of the Awarua 66KV line of Powernet, which will see giant energy lines 21 meters high installed along Findley Road, East Road, Mill Road South, Mason RD and George Road in Invercargill.

Several of these will replace the existing energy posts much smaller.

Labor deputy for Taieri Ingrid Leary said the Council granted Powernet’s consent within 15 days and did not notify any of the affected residents.

“The City Council needs to ask the Environment Court to withdraw the consent that it was presented or granted a directive that requires the consent process to begin again.

“This is simply insecure and hurried decision making.”

Leary said that some of the planned electric lines were dangerously close to the road and that “it would cause absolute butcher shop if trucks or cars collided with them.”

Several accidents had been identified in parts of state highway 1 and the surrounding roads in the last five years.

She said the Awarua project was also causing mental anguish for some of the affected residents.

Some residents faced a possible fall in the values ​​of the properties, but it was not clear if they could obtain compensation.

Leary said that if affected owners were entitled to compensation that compensation may have to come from other taxpayers, whose fees could be affected in turn.

Leary said that would be a subject at a public meeting that he planned to celebrate in the coming weeks.

The planned electricity lines are dangerously close to the road, the locals say.
Photo: Krystal Gibbens

Left resident baffled

Tony Drozdzak, who lives in Mill Road South, said the residents in their street realized the plan to install energy lines when they made some consultations about some Waratahs that had settled.

He said that they then discovered that the energy lines were being installed and that the Council had already signed the consent of resources.

Drozdzak said that after expressing their concerns to the Council, they were told that much could be done.

Drozdzak said that people in the area were concerned about the security risk posed by the Awarua project and how it would affect their properties.

He said that a real estate agent had predicted that the values ​​of the properties could be reduced by 20-25 percent for those who had a giant energy post outside their home, people were also worried about how they could affect their ability to sell their properties.

Drozdzak was also worried that having giant energy posts installed so that the nearby properties could mean that the owners would have to look for the consent of the electric company to make certain modifications.

The New Zealand electrical practice code for safe electrical distances NZECP 34 establishes minimal distances allowed between any new building/structures and airlines.

Drozdzak was baffled why Powernet had chosen to install the energy lines, so near the houses and the state highway instead of in the lands of cultivation.

Powernet says that chosen Powerline locations are profitable

Powernet said that Awarua’s update was to support the decarbonization efforts of industrial clients and ensure that there was an adequate and reliable electricity supply for Awarua, South Invercargill and Bluff for the next 50 years.

“It is the first stage of the Awarua Network project, which also includes updates to the exit point of the Transpower grid at Findlay Road and the construction of a new substation in Awarua,” said a Powernet spokesman.

“These updates will increase the electricity capacity and the future proof supply in the southern region for the benefit of all customers.”

The spokesman said that the route chosen for the update was optimal. He had a robust robust infrastructure, easily remained easily profitable.

The spokesman said that the complete security evaluations of the Awarua project had also been completed and the information provided to the residents.

“Electricity networks, including Powernet, have rights to build and maintain lines in road reserves that are owned by road authorities. These rights are granted under the District Plan, the Electricity Resources Management Law and the payments of the owners are not prescribed. This is consistent throughout New Zealand.”

Powernet believed that concerns about property modifications would be applied mainly to the conductive fence.

“By planning the update of the Awarua line, the appropriate exclusion zone has been taken into account around existing conductive fences to mitigate the impact on residents as much as possible.”

“Powernet will not retain consent unfairly for the construction of new conductive fences, but it will ensure that all works can be carried out safely and without risks for residents.”

The City Council of Invercargill was also contacted to comment.

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