❓ Hon. Steve Martin questions the Minister for Energy regarding Western Power's pole-top fire mitigation efforts, including remediation progress, the pause in live line treatment, and the resulting backlog. The Minister provides details on planned remediation, work completed, reasons for the pause, and the backlog.
AnsweredQoN 583Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
WESTERN POWER — POLE-TOP
FIRES
583. Hon STEVE MARTIN to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Energy:
I refer to pole-top fires on
Western Power's electricity network.
(1) How many poles has Western
Power identified as requiring remediation work as at 30 April 2023?
(2) How many poles have been
remediated since 1 July 2022?
(3) Noting that a
safety incident led to a three-year pause in live line treatment from the
ground, why did it take Western Power three years to find an alternative and
safer practice?
(4) What is the backlog of
unmaintained poles as a result of that three-year pause?
FIRES
583. Hon STEVE MARTIN to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Energy:
I refer to pole-top fires on
Western Power's electricity network.
(1) How many poles has Western
Power identified as requiring remediation work as at 30 April 2023?
(2) How many poles have been
remediated since 1 July 2022?
(3) Noting that a
safety incident led to a three-year pause in live line treatment from the
ground, why did it take Western Power three years to find an alternative and
safer practice?
(4) What is the backlog of
unmaintained poles as a result of that three-year pause?
AnswerView source ↗
I
thank the member for some notice of the question. This long answer has been
provided to me by the Minister for Energy.
(1) Pole-top fire
mitigation is an annual program of work. Over the next four years, 2024–25
to 2027–28, Western Power plans to remediate approximately 120 000
locations.
(2) Approximately
2 000 locations have been remediated since 1 July 2022 through live line
washing and siliconing, using helicopter and insulator/crossarm replacement at
locations with high/extreme fire consequence ratings.
(3) In January
2020, a Western Power employee was injured while undertaking land-based
siliconing and washing of live, or energised, lines. The incident triggered
Western Power to suspend live washing and siliconing
by land-based crews until a safe practice or tool could be developed and
implemented. As a result, mitigation measures have included insulator replacement
and de-energised washing and siliconing, in conjunction with other asset
replacement programs like conductor replacement, pole replacement and
reinforcement, and vegetation management. De-energised silicon and washing
affects customers' power supply as the work requires extended outages
in terms of duration and, at times, over multiple days. It takes longer to
complete the work, due to the switching required and the additional staff
needed to do this work. All this increases the cost significantly.
Western Power therefore increased
insulator replacements and network maintenance and renewal to improve power
reliability where it could, to help prevent pole-top fires and associated
consequences. In late 2022, Western Power
carried out a trial to utilise helicopters for the live washing and siliconing
program on the distribution network; this had previously only been done
on live transmission lines. The trial focused on safety and effectiveness and
Western Power engaged an independent consultant to facilitate a formal safety
assessment. The outcomes and results of the trial were very positive and
Western Power began the washing and siliconing of live powerlines via
helicopter in late February 2023.
(4) Approximately 30 000 sites.
The PRESIDENT : Honourable
member, noting that the answer is long does nothing to address standing order
106 . Similarly, asking open-ended questions does nothing to address
standing order 105.
thank the member for some notice of the question. This long answer has been
provided to me by the Minister for Energy.
(1) Pole-top fire
mitigation is an annual program of work. Over the next four years, 2024–25
to 2027–28, Western Power plans to remediate approximately 120 000
locations.
(2) Approximately
2 000 locations have been remediated since 1 July 2022 through live line
washing and siliconing, using helicopter and insulator/crossarm replacement at
locations with high/extreme fire consequence ratings.
(3) In January
2020, a Western Power employee was injured while undertaking land-based
siliconing and washing of live, or energised, lines. The incident triggered
Western Power to suspend live washing and siliconing
by land-based crews until a safe practice or tool could be developed and
implemented. As a result, mitigation measures have included insulator replacement
and de-energised washing and siliconing, in conjunction with other asset
replacement programs like conductor replacement, pole replacement and
reinforcement, and vegetation management. De-energised silicon and washing
affects customers' power supply as the work requires extended outages
in terms of duration and, at times, over multiple days. It takes longer to
complete the work, due to the switching required and the additional staff
needed to do this work. All this increases the cost significantly.
Western Power therefore increased
insulator replacements and network maintenance and renewal to improve power
reliability where it could, to help prevent pole-top fires and associated
consequences. In late 2022, Western Power
carried out a trial to utilise helicopters for the live washing and siliconing
program on the distribution network; this had previously only been done
on live transmission lines. The trial focused on safety and effectiveness and
Western Power engaged an independent consultant to facilitate a formal safety
assessment. The outcomes and results of the trial were very positive and
Western Power began the washing and siliconing of live powerlines via
helicopter in late February 2023.
(4) Approximately 30 000 sites.
The PRESIDENT : Honourable
member, noting that the answer is long does nothing to address standing order
106 . Similarly, asking open-ended questions does nothing to address
standing order 105.
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