Power outages could be avoided

Vector is calling for more flexibility around trimming and removing trees that pose a threat to power lines.

At an Auckland Council Transport and Infrastructure Committee on July 20, Vector chief operating officer Peter Ryan said preventable power outages were “hampered” by regulations.

During Cyclone Gabrielle, Ryan said 65 per cent of power outages were caused by vegetation and 80 per cent of those outages were specifically trees.

“Vegetation is probably our biggest contributor to outages around the network,” he said.

“We are seeing a higher frequency of high velocity wind across the network, which impacts us particularly in the north and in parts of Auckland’s west.”

Ryan said Vector was allowed to cut back vegetation up to three metres around a power line, depending on the voltage.

“Anything beyond that we can’t cut. A lot of the trees that impact our lines are beyond that cut zone, so we can’t proactively cut those trees to reduce the risk.”

He said Vector had been lobbying for eight years to increase the cut zone and shift to a more risk-based approach.

Cr Chris Darby asked about Vector’s policy on undergrounding infrastructure, as [power] assets contributed to deaths and serious injuries on Auckland’s roads.

Ryan said that undergrounding infrastructure would write off the remaining life of assets.

“It’s not unique to Vector; it’s an issue right across the world where there are poles in road corridors that people hit, unfortunately,” Ryan said.

“When assets need upgrading, which could be because of increasing loads in certain areas, we are looking at whether or not it’s going to be viable to underground the lines.”