Inspection activity in Upper South Island

Media release

29 August 2008

Transpower undertaking inspection activity in Upper South Island

Transpower said today that it was undertaking additional inspection activity on the DC transmission line in the Upper South Island and apologised to landowners and residents for any inconvenience this may cause.

The inspection, which may include both land and helicopter activity, follows the discovery of a tower last night that had become unstable when the land it was situated on started to slip due to extreme wet weather in the Upper South Island.

The tower is situated in the Port Underwood area and is one of the DC transmission lines. Transpower’s General Manager Grid Performance Bob Simpson said that the problem was identified following a maintenance inspection and a team of engineers were dispatched immediately to assess the site.

“It seems that the wet ground beneath the tower had slipped which has caused one of the towers legs to move. This in turn has caused some of the tower supports to bend. A thorough assessment of the site is being carried out and we are working to rectify the situation.”

“We don’t expect any interruptions to electricity supply. However, we are currently moving some additional equipment to the site, as well as inspecting the transmission lines in the vicinity via helicopter, to ensure there are no other instances like this one.”

“Local residents should also be aware that there may be an increase in heavy machinery traffic throughout the area as we move temporary equipment to the site to ensure the tower remains stable,” he said.

ENDS

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