❓ A member of parliament questions the government about potential sale of Western Power, grid maintenance, and reliability issues in the southwest, particularly the Vasse electorate. The government denies under-maintenance and attributes issues to environmental factors, outlining ongoing maintenance and planned improvements.
AnsweredQoN 1414Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Has the Government sought expressions of interest or any other feedback from companies or other entities that may be potential buyers of Western Power?
(2) Is it true that a USA-based company has advised the Government, your Ministry, Western Power or the Office of Energy that it would not consider making an offer to buy Western Power unless the various problems of the electricity grid within the south west corner of WA were first addressed?
(3) Is it true that Western Power's assessment of the south west grid is that it is under-maintained and under-supplied, hence explaining the proposals to construct a new power line from Waterloo to Busselton?
(4) What plans exist to overcome the problems of the under-maintained power distribution system within the south west, especially within rural areas of the Vasse electorate?
(5) When will these plans be put into effect?
(2) Is it true that a USA-based company has advised the Government, your Ministry, Western Power or the Office of Energy that it would not consider making an offer to buy Western Power unless the various problems of the electricity grid within the south west corner of WA were first addressed?
(3) Is it true that Western Power's assessment of the south west grid is that it is under-maintained and under-supplied, hence explaining the proposals to construct a new power line from Waterloo to Busselton?
(4) What plans exist to overcome the problems of the under-maintained power distribution system within the south west, especially within rural areas of the Vasse electorate?
(5) When will these plans be put into effect?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
14 March 2002
Responded by
Minister for Energy
Response time
23 days
(3) No. Western Power monitors growth in demand for electricity and uses this information to forecast future energy use. It is on the basis of future demand that Western Power proposes to construct a new transmission line from Waterloo to Busselton. (4) The distribution system in the South West is not under-maintained. Western Power is aware of reliability issues, however these are caused by environmental factors not lack of maintenance. Western Power is taking steps to improve reliability by, for example, developing suitable possum guards in conjunction with the Department of Conservation and Land Management, burying power lines which are vulnerable to interference by birds and testing new fault indicators on the overhead network. During the next financial year, the Corporation plans to split the Busselton feeder into two thereby halving the number of customers affected when a fault does occur. (5) Western Power's maintenance plans are being routinely executed.
(4) The distribution system in the South West is not under-maintained. Western Power is aware of reliability issues, however these are caused by environmental factors not lack of maintenance. Western Power is taking steps to improve reliability by, for example, developing suitable possum guards in conjunction with the Department of Conservation and Land Management, burying power lines which are vulnerable to interference by birds and testing new fault indicators on the overhead network. During the next financial year, the Corporation plans to split the Busselton feeder into two thereby halving the number of customers affected when a fault does occur. (5) Western Power's maintenance plans are being routinely executed.
(5) Western Power's maintenance plans are being routinely executed.
(4) The distribution system in the South West is not under-maintained. Western Power is aware of reliability issues, however these are caused by environmental factors not lack of maintenance. Western Power is taking steps to improve reliability by, for example, developing suitable possum guards in conjunction with the Department of Conservation and Land Management, burying power lines which are vulnerable to interference by birds and testing new fault indicators on the overhead network. During the next financial year, the Corporation plans to split the Busselton feeder into two thereby halving the number of customers affected when a fault does occur. (5) Western Power's maintenance plans are being routinely executed.
(5) Western Power's maintenance plans are being routinely executed.
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