Regional restoration update 5pm

As at 5pm, there were 1,789 customers without power across Powerco’s network – down from 2,033 at 12.30pm today. Please note, this is a running total of live outages and includes new outages that are not related to Cyclone Gabrielle restoration.

• Coromandel – 652 customers
• Taranaki – 665 customers
• South Waikato – 131 customers
• Wairarapa – 164 customers 
• Bay of Plenty – 76 customers
• Whanganui – 42 customers
• Manawatū – 59 customers

Crews will continue working throughout the weekend to make repairs.

If you have animal welfare issues, it’s important you call your farm vet first and then your local Rural Support Trust. Your local Civil Defence group is also an option if you have any welfare concerns.
 
We know it is difficult to be without power for a long time, but please be assured we’re working as quickly as possible to reconnect you. 
 
Hazardous conditions (such as high winds, flooding and slips) have prevented us from reaching many fault sites. We must also prioritise emergency jobs and restoring power to essential public services and facilities.

Power restoration update by region

Coromandel

Crews have made progress accessing damaged sections of the network today and restoring customer’s supply as we’ve been able to. The crews have made particularly good progress today restoring supply to individual customer faults – reducing individual faults from 250 this morning to fewer than 100 by late this afternoon.

Wentworth Valley Road: This outage is affecting 20 customers in Whangamatā. A landslip has until now hampered restoration teams accessing major damage to lines and poles. This section of the network has needed redesigning and relocation. Preparation work began today before the rebuild of the line, which is expected to begin tomorrow. The aim is to have customers restored by the end of the weekend.

Tairua: At least eight power structures needed repairing to restore supply to about 500 customers. While some customers have been able to be restored today, pockets of customers continue to have no power. This outage involves the high voltage supply – which is the backbone of the network. Restoration work will continue into the weekend.

Whitianga: A total of 21 customers on Pumpkin Hill Rd received generation today.

Bay of Plenty

All customers impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle have been restored. Any new outages showing on the outage map relate to non-cyclone related outages. Crews have moved to the Coromandel-Hauraki-South Waikato areas to assist with the restoration efforts there.

South Waikato

Crews are aiming to restore as many customers here today as possible and restoration work will continue into tomorrow. Accessing damaged equipment has proved difficult with the number of trees and other vegetation hampering the repair. Field crews from the Bay of Plenty have been moved here to help with the restoration effort.

Taranaki  

Crews have made significant progress today. 

Vegetation contractors spent the day at Makara Rd, east of Tariki, removing trees and cleaning up other vegetation that enabled field crews to restring a power line across the valley using a helicopter.

In Rawhitiroa, east of Eltham, a transformer was repaired to enable the restoration of customers in that community.

Only a handful of customers impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle are expected to still be without power into tomorrow.

Whanganui

Crews worked today to restore high voltage supply – which is the backbone of the network – to supply customers in the Kai iwi area. Vegetation contractors removed trees and debris to assist with the Kai iwi restoration, which proved more difficult than anticipated. Affected customers have generation.

Manawatū

Manawatū cyclone-related outages are expected to be restored by tonight. 
 
Tararua faults have been challenging because of access issues. The community from Pongaroa to Akitio has been isolated because of flooding and access has only viable by helicopter. A heavy lift helicopter was used today to fly in equipment, materials, and crews. The Akitio community was reconnected about 4pm today.

Wairarapa 

The Tīnui Valley fault continues to be a work in progress into tomorrow. 

Power was restored to the majority of the Tīnui township in Wairarapa late on Wednesday evening, after the Tīnui substation was impacted by flooding. A tree close to the substation was removed to enable a line from Awatoi substation to supply Tīnui township. Vegetation contractors patrolled that line today to remove any trees or vegetation that had potential to cut supply in high winds from that back-up line. 

Power is yet to be restored northwest of Castlepoint, with 10 poles down on Tanawa Rd and a tree across a line on Tīnui Valley Road. Flooding has hampered this restoration today. The water needs to recede before crews can dig holes for new poles, without them filling with water, and to enable concrete to set.