North Canterbury News: August 03, 2023

LIVE LINES
Issue 220 August 2023
Vegetation and Wind Storm FAQs
After recent weather events around the country we wanted
to remind our network of the importance of vegetation
management. It is also agood opportunity to reiterate general
house rules regarding storms, severe weather and minimising
damage.
Why amI(the vegetation owner)
responsible for myvegetation
impacting lines in aweather event?
Maintenance and ensuring that vegetation doesn’t damage
MainPower lines/network is the responsibility of the owner.
If a tree, hedge or shelter belt is not maintained as per the
requirements or regulations, it can cause serious issues ifit
comes in contact with lines, such as;
• During severe weather events, if vegetation is too close to
linesitcan becomeelectrically ‘live’. Anyone who comes into
contact withelectrically‘live’vegetation may be electrocuted.
• In severe or even bad weather, vegetation can topple over
and branches may break away causing damage to power
lines. Damage to the network/lines can cause significant
widespread power outages.
• Vegetation too close to lines may cause electrical sparking,
resulting in fire and potentially causing significant damage
to the lines/network.
• Vegetation roots can grow around underground electricity
cables, if this happens it can rupture the insulation and cause
widespread power outages.
Am Iliable if asevere weather event
occurs and abelonging of mine
damages the lines/network?
If your belongings (e.g, atrampoline) is picked up in asevere
weather event, and damages part of our lines/network,
any damage created could result in the owner (you) being
responsible for the costs associated with any repairs needed to
fix the network.
To prevent these types of instances from occurring, we suggest
ensuring items are secured correctly to your property in case of
extreme weather events.The list includes but is not limited to:
• Trampolines and outdoor playsets (wendy houses, swing
sets etc).
• Bins and recycling boxes
• Boats, caravans, and bikes
• Outdoor furniture and garden sheds
• Garden ornaments and potted plants
• Hardware, tools, and building materials/accessories
• Firewood and branches
• Gas tanks, fuel drums etc.
What is a‘Fall Zone’?
The ‘Fall Zone’ iswhere vegetation branches are outside of both
the‘Notice Zone’and ‘GrowthZone’limits, however due to their
size and position with respecttothe line/network, they presenta
risk of damage. (To learn more about these zones, check out the
MainPower website!)
If vegetation on your property is located within a fall zone,
consider trimming or removing the vegetation (via qualified
contractors).
This is suggested to avoid causing damage to the lines/network
and incurring future costs associated with any damage the
vegetation may cause.
To learn more about us and what
we are doing in your community,
head to our website.
MainPower 24 Hour
Faults Line
mainpower.co.nz 0800 30 90 80