Residents Angry About Power Pole Upgrade

An Invercargill lawyer has addressed the Invercargill City Council on PowerNet’s Awarua power pole upgrade project, that will see some erected in resident’s backyards.

Shelley Munro spoke in the public forum of the council meeting today, about the plans for the 21m-high power poles along a 19.6km line to Awarua.

Residents in the East Invercargill area recently noticed black waratahs appearing along the highway, and understood that fibre was being installed in the area.

They soon realised after company representatives turned up to talk with them about the recently approved resource consent, the severity of the project.

Shelley said three landowners in particular would be severely affected, and described bullying tactics by the power company for what she described as “enormous monstrosities,” on their land.

The power poles would have “catastrophic” impacts on their land values, and the affected landowners were only informed a month before the consent was lodged on July 2.

When the company was questioned at a public meeting, they were told underground powerlines would be too expensive.

“It reeks nepotism,” Shelley said.

PowerNet was given consent from the council on July 22 to erect seven poles on the Findlay Road area – the only section of the route that that consent process was needed.

The remainder of the line upgrade was a permitted activity under the District Plan.

“It’s simply unbelievable that such a proposal could have no personal impact on people,” she said.

Mill Road South, in particular, would have power poles on both sides on the road.

“Some of the poles are literally… it’s going right in their bedroom and kitchen windows.”

PowerNet was continuing to work with affected private landowners to reach agreements with them on the new lines upgrade route.