PHOTO: ODT FILESOtago Peninsula residents without power for significant periods over the next two weeks will be able to use a local hall and services for toilets and refrigerators after the local community board stepped in. Lines company Aurora is to replace a total of 16km of power lines and poles on the peninsula this year, in a $2.5million bid to improve the reliability of the power supply to the area. Otago Peninsula Community Board chairman Paul Pope said initial communication about the cuts had been haphazard, as the notes sent out by power supply and traffic management companies left customers confused. Aurora would provide vouchers for Portobello residents to use at a local cafe during outages there and would ensure toilet facilities and water were available. Customers in the Portobello and Harwood areas had experienced 16 unplanned outages since 2017 due to a range of factors, including adverse weather events and defects in ageing lines, poles and power infrastructure.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 08, 2021 15:32 UTC