❓ Mr. Waldron asks about Western Power's response to electricity network challenges during early 2015, particularly regarding bushfires. The Minister details Western Power's role in firefighting support and infrastructure restoration, highlighting the scale of the effort and congratulating staff.
AnsweredQoN 119Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WESTERN
POWER — ELECTRICITY NETWORK AND FIREFIGHTING EFFORT
119. Mr T.K. WALDRON to the
Minister for Energy:
Can the minister please update the house on Western Power's
response to electricity network challenges during the early part of 2015?
POWER — ELECTRICITY NETWORK AND FIREFIGHTING EFFORT
119. Mr T.K. WALDRON to the
Minister for Energy:
Can the minister please update the house on Western Power's
response to electricity network challenges during the early part of 2015?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. I know he has a great
deal of interest in this subject, particularly in his electorate. Western
Power, like all the other groups, including the Department of Parks and
Wildlife, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and the volunteer fire
services, has had a very tough fire season. In fact, this has been one of the
most difficult periods on record for Western Power. First, the lightning storms
in late January and early February led to a lot of destruction of equipment and
outages. Then there have been four major fires, in which Western Power played a
major role. Western Power's role in fighting the fires is twofold,
firstly in making sure that downed wires do not inhibit the fighting of fires,
people fleeing from fires, and the recovery after fire. After the fire is
finished, Western Power goes in and puts the gear back together again. For the
Northcliffe fire, which was one of the most intense in this state's
history, Western Power had more than 100 people down there for the duration of
the fire and the recovery. They were brought from all around Western Power's
network, including north of the city in the metropolitan area. After the fire
was extinguished, the crew was working 12-hour shifts, 24 hours a day for a
week to get the system back up and running. It was very remarkable to do that
in seven days. Then, of course, there was the Bullsbrook fire, which, though
shorter in duration, was very intense. Western Power had 35 construction crew
and 42 support crew there for the duration of the fire and for the recovery.
Again, 24-hour-a-day, 12-hour shifts got the system up and running again in
seven days—remarkable. All told, Western Power had to replace more than
450 poles, at a cost in the vicinity of $4 million. It did a remarkable job,
and I congratulate the staff and senior management of Western Power for the
response and for the preparation for this, because that is the key issue, and
on behalf Western Power I also thank the bushfire volunteers, DPaW and DFES for
fighting the fires. It was an unfortunate set of events, but a remarkable
response.
deal of interest in this subject, particularly in his electorate. Western
Power, like all the other groups, including the Department of Parks and
Wildlife, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and the volunteer fire
services, has had a very tough fire season. In fact, this has been one of the
most difficult periods on record for Western Power. First, the lightning storms
in late January and early February led to a lot of destruction of equipment and
outages. Then there have been four major fires, in which Western Power played a
major role. Western Power's role in fighting the fires is twofold,
firstly in making sure that downed wires do not inhibit the fighting of fires,
people fleeing from fires, and the recovery after fire. After the fire is
finished, Western Power goes in and puts the gear back together again. For the
Northcliffe fire, which was one of the most intense in this state's
history, Western Power had more than 100 people down there for the duration of
the fire and the recovery. They were brought from all around Western Power's
network, including north of the city in the metropolitan area. After the fire
was extinguished, the crew was working 12-hour shifts, 24 hours a day for a
week to get the system back up and running. It was very remarkable to do that
in seven days. Then, of course, there was the Bullsbrook fire, which, though
shorter in duration, was very intense. Western Power had 35 construction crew
and 42 support crew there for the duration of the fire and for the recovery.
Again, 24-hour-a-day, 12-hour shifts got the system up and running again in
seven days—remarkable. All told, Western Power had to replace more than
450 poles, at a cost in the vicinity of $4 million. It did a remarkable job,
and I congratulate the staff and senior management of Western Power for the
response and for the preparation for this, because that is the key issue, and
on behalf Western Power I also thank the bushfire volunteers, DPaW and DFES for
fighting the fires. It was an unfortunate set of events, but a remarkable
response.
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