The grass on the Kenna property at The Sisters is green now and a new powerpole stands sturdy, but the heartache that was sparked on the site five months ago remains.
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An Energy Safe Victoria report finding that termites and decay led to a pole snapping in high winds and sparking the Garvoc blaze on St Patrick’s Day is confirmation of what local residents have been saying all along.
Landowner Jack Kenna said Stevie Wonder could have spotted the damaged pole, but ESV found Powercor’s maintenance processes did not.
Mr Kenna describes the losses felt in the area since the fire as gut-wrenching, while “pretty ordinary” treatment from Powercor, which had denied responsibility for the blaze, added to the strain.
“It’s been gut-wrenching. Every day is the same, you see the good pole down there now and, just mentally, it gets to you every day,” he said.
“For families in this district, Powercor should get on national television and apologise. But we know that’s not going to happen.
“This has been a serious breach, what they’ve done, and put many people’s livelihoods and indeed their lives in jeopardy. We don’t deserve this.”
Mr Kenna said Powercor now had “a lot to answer for” and called on government to ensure that justice was done.
“This is what privatisation has brought. They are not accountable to anyone,” he said.
Mr Kenna said through drought, flooding rains and low commodity prices farmers had paid their power bills.
“To be treated in such a way is pretty ordinary,” he said. “Unless they do something about maintenance, we’re going to need danger money to live here next summer, we’re just going to have to head for the hills. That’s not trying to be funny, that’s how it is.
“We don’t want anyone to have to go through this anywhere else in the state.”
Nearby resident Bernie Harris questioned how many other power poles in the district and across Victoria were in a similar condition.
“If it’s not us here, it will be somebody else in a situation similar,” he said.
“Safety should be every citizen’s number one right.”
Mr Harris said the report showed that Powercor had not followed the rules. “That’s where the government has to come in, they either get fair dinkum or they don’t,” he said.
A Powercor spokeswoman said the organisation was reviewing the report into the Garvoc fire.
“Given there are legal proceedings under way, we are unable to make further comment,” she said.
While ESV investigations are continuing in the Garvoc and Terang fires, the case has been closed on St Patrick’s Day fires sparked at Gazette, Minjah, Gnotuk and Laang. All were found to be caused by trees or branches hitting powerlines in high wind.
“ESV has concluded that in all four fires, the trees that hit the powerlines were outside the minimum clearance space required by electric line clearance regulations,” the report said.
“ESV will not be investigating these incidents further.”
Separate from the St Patrick’s Day fires, ESV is prosecuting Powercor for numerous powerline clearance breaches earlier this year that led to grass fires, including one at Port Campbell on January 28.
Powercor has been charged with:
- Breaching key provisions of the Code of Practice for Electric Line Clearance. If proven it could lead to fines of up to $39,642 per charge.
- Failing to minimise the risks to property from a supply network (section 98(b) of the Electricity Safety Act 1998). If proven this could attract a fine of up to $237,855 per charge.
- Failing to comply with a bushfire mitigation plan (section 113B(2) of the Electricity Safety Act 1998). If proven this could attract a fine of up to $237,855 per charge.
All three grass fires were caused by tree branches coming into contact with powerlines.
