Vector and council both deny tree trimming responsibility

3.00pm

Auckland electricity distributor Vector and a city council today both denied they were responsible for maintaining a tree close to power lines from which a 10-year-old boy received a massive electric shock.

The Te Atatu boy was reported to be in a stable condition in intensive care at Middlemore Hospital today after suffering severe arm and chest burns, and losing some fingers yesterday.

One witness at the west Auckland site today said the top of the tree didn't reached the power lines, but went about two-thirds up the pole to a maintenance platform.

From there, the boy would have clambered to the top.

Angry Paton Ave residents have complained that the tree should have been cut down months ago, saying they had alerted Waitakere City Council earlier this year about it being close to the pole.

Vector spokeswoman Charlene White said the company was in the early stages of investigating what had happened yesterday.

She could not comment in detail until a report was completed "in the next day or so".

Overhead power lines could deliver a shock of about 11,000 volts and Ms White said educational programmes underlined the message that all wires had to be treated as live.

She also said Vector spent $3 million a year on pro-active tree-trimming and maintenance, and worked with local councils to clear branches from near power lines.

But she added: "In terms of legally where it stands, it's up to the property owner -- whether it's private property or council land -- to maintain those trees."

However, Waitakere City spokesman Wally Thomas said legal advice to the council was that it was the responsibility of power companies to trim trees.

"While it's our tree, they are responsible for ensuring that that it doesn't touch the power lines or that people cannot have access to them," he said.

Mr Thomas pointed to a full-page advertisement that coincidentally appeared in a daily newspaper today.

The advertisement, placed by phone company Vodafone, shows a Vector line mechanic being called out via new wireless data technology to fix a power fault caused by fallen tree.

Mr Thomas also said Vector's predecessor, United Networks Ltd, had stated its policy on tree maintenance when applying for a resource consent.

The policy was "to monitor the separation of vegetation from network assets and to maintain it at a distance".

"We said to Vector today that we're happy to provide staff to work with them to identify any other hazards that there may be around the city," Mr Thomas said.

"But ultimately they are the ones who are out on the site looking at the tree now."

- NZPA