Angry Birds Safety Alert

Vector Network News

Angry Birds Safety Alert

Last week, when field staff were attending to routine scheduled maintenance work near the Frankley Road area, they became aware of several magpies nesting in the surrounding trees. These birds became aggressive, swooping down on staff as they moved around the site. It was noted that the ‘angry’ birds seemed to prefer harassing workers in the high visibility vests, rather than the more sedate blue drill pants and work shirts.

Staff have been asked to be mindful that it is nesting season, and consider wearing hard hats.

No bad piggies or birds were harmed during the writing of this safety alert.

NETWORK SUMMARY for week ending 27 October 2012

ELECTRICITY
It’s been another busy week for our electricity network. There were four car v poles during the week in Whenuapai, Howick, Titirangi and Mt Albert along with a car v pillar in Auckland’s CBD. Crews attended an outage affecting approx 146 customers, caused by a third party cable strike; as well as one in Remuera caused by a HV cable fault.

Our faults crews also attended lines down in Waitoki, Red Beach and an incident where a truck brought down lines in Huia, Auckland. Response crews attended sparking lines in New Windsor, and fires in a photography shop in Newmarket, a garage in New Lynn West, and houses in Otara and Papatoetoe

GAS TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION

No third party strikes on our network during the week. Please take care around our gas network and call 0508 B4 U WORK (248 967) or 0800 B4 U DIG if outside Auckland.
FIBRE

‘EduNet’ – the education network that already connects over 50 schools in Auckland, is now available for any school in the Auckland UFB region (which stretches as far as Orewa and Pukekohe). Previously only available on Vector Communications’ own fibre network, agreements with other LFCs means the specialist education fibre network - which offers peering, collaboration, uncapped internet access - is now available in wider Auckland. It will be available in Wellington, Hamilton and Christchurch from December 2012, and in other regions throughout 2013.

METERING
Vector has announced the further expansion of its metering business with the proposed acquisition of Contact Energy’s gas metering business. The proposed acquisition price is $63m. Completion of the purchase is subject to Commerce Commission clearance which is expected to take approximately three months. Vector Chief Executive Simon Mackenzie said the purchase was value-accretive and complimented Vector’s existing gas metering business. The purchase is for 128,000 gas meters located within residential, commercial and industrial premises around New Zealand. “This acquisition reflects that Vector is growing its metering business in New Zealand. We are also delighted that Contact Energy has recognised the value of Vector’s offering by committing to become a gas metering services customer in this competitive market. “We have been trialling smart gas metering technology and in the longer term we hope to retro-fit this technology on the acquired gas meter fleet as customers request such technology,” he said.

SHORTS
• Vector owns over 17,737 kilometres of overhead and underground lines in the greater Auckland area, and 12,572 kilometres of gas pipe lines, with almost half supplying gas to Auckland.

• Celebrate the best of New Zealand music with fabulous live performances from your favourite Kiwi artists at the 2012 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards Thursday, 1 November. Vector, proud sponsor of the Arena.

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