Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Power company urges safety after line damage increases

Rotorua Daily Post
9 Nov, 2017 12:29 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Public has been urged to take care around power supply - both underground and overhead after an increase in damaged lines. Photo/File

Public has been urged to take care around power supply - both underground and overhead after an increase in damaged lines. Photo/File

The public have been urged to take care around power supply - both underground and overhead- following a sharp increase in damage to lines.

Unison Networks reminded the public to take care around its electricity network following a significant increase in the number of third-parties making inadvertent contact with lines.

Since April this year Unison crews have been sent to 46 faults across Rotorua, Taupo, and Hawke's Bay to make safe and carry out repairs to both overhead and underground electricity lines damaged by the public.

This compares with 16 incidents at the same time in 2016.

Incidents included motor vehicle accidents, high loads contacting overhead wires, trees being felled though lines and a number of near misses involving metal stakes being driven into the ground, narrowly missing high voltage cabling.

Unison's General Manager Networks and Operations, Jaun Park, said last month they had six motor accidents, two high loads contacting overhead lines, and a handyman who felled a tree through lines.

"We want to reiterate to the community the importance of being aware and vigilant about their own safety, and the safety of the community when around powerlines and cables.

"Whether it's working in the vicinity of our poles and lines, trimming trees or digging, safety is paramount and we need to work together to eliminate these types of incidents.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"If you see a damaged pole, downed lines or exposed wires you should always treat them as live and the area as a potential electrical hazard, stay well away and contact Unison immediately. Likewise, when digging or driving stakes, you should always have cables located first which is a free service," Park said.

Last month's incidents resulted in 4331 customers experiencing power interruptions which caused considerable disruption.

Unison's ongoing safety campaign continued this month, encouraging residential customers to contact Unison before they begin digging or staking this summer or before they attempted trimming or felling trees near power lines.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The company also offered free electricity programmes for non-electrical contracting businesses working near electricity as well as a free award-winning safety education programme for schools in its network region.

Park said Unison hoped that increasing awareness of these incidents, and the impact they have on both customers and the community, would reduce the number of accidents.

If you come across an accident involving the electricity network, call 111 for emergency services from a safe distance, then contact Unison on 0800 2 UNISON (0800 2 86476) to secure the area.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

'Safety risks': Concerns as hospital security guards double as cleaners

05 Jul 10:45 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Bid for inquiry into Ōhinemutu sewage spills fails

05 Jul 06:00 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Man admits having $20k of stolen goods in mysterious arson case

04 Jul 06:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

'Safety risks': Concerns as hospital security guards double as cleaners

'Safety risks': Concerns as hospital security guards double as cleaners

05 Jul 10:45 PM

Security guards at two rural hospitals have been doubling as cleaners on the same shift.

Bid for inquiry into Ōhinemutu sewage spills fails

Bid for inquiry into Ōhinemutu sewage spills fails

05 Jul 06:00 PM
Man admits having $20k of stolen goods in mysterious arson case

Man admits having $20k of stolen goods in mysterious arson case

04 Jul 06:00 PM
Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

04 Jul 02:00 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP