1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,720 Speaker 1: Now, I'm pleased to say that joining me in the 2 00:00:01,760 --> 00:00:04,920 Speaker 1: studio right now from Power and Water it is Mike Beslink, 3 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: the executive general manager of CORP Operations. Good morning to you, Mike. 4 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 2: Good morning Katie, and thanks for having me. 5 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, good to see you again. Are you getting any 6 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: sleep at the moment or just out there checking power lines? 7 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:20,920 Speaker 3: Look, I think everyone's doing their bit and hopefully getting 8 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 3: home to have a bit of sleep, But it does 9 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 3: play a bit on the mind, so it's a bit 10 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 3: harder to get to sleep. 11 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: Well. Yeah, when you know, when you know there are 12 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: still people without their power, I'm sure that you want 13 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:32,919 Speaker 1: to make sure it's restored as quickly as possible. 14 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 2: Absolutely, Mike. 15 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: How many territorianes or how many residents have we now 16 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:38,240 Speaker 1: got back online? 17 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 3: Well, I'm pleased to say that as of this morning, 18 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:45,240 Speaker 3: we were looking at about fourteen nine hundred back on line, 19 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:48,200 Speaker 3: So that's still about five thousand customers that we still 20 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 3: have to restore. But after less than sort of forty 21 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 3: eight hours that it's been a massive effort by the teams. 22 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: Now, Mate, I'm one of those customers that's still not restored. 23 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: What is the situation with some of the people that 24 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: are still without power. 25 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 3: I was having a think last night, Katie, because we 26 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 3: use various terminologies about suburbs being put back on power 27 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 3: and feeders being re energized, and I know that's probably 28 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 3: terminology that is not familiar with people. So I was 29 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 3: thinking of a bit of analogy that I could use. 30 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 3: And if you're running an extension cord from your house 31 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 3: down to the backyard, and you were plugging a number 32 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 3: of appliances in and down the back and you go 33 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:26,960 Speaker 3: up to the house and switch the switch on for 34 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 3: the extension lead, that's us powering up the suburb. 35 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 2: When we get down to the backyard. 36 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 3: We find that some of those applians it might not 37 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 3: be working because they're not plugged in properly, or there 38 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 3: is something not working on them. 39 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 2: That's sort of where we're at. 40 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 3: So when we say you know your suburbs on, we've 41 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 3: powered up the extension lead, we're hoping that everything is connected, 42 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 3: but sometimes it's not. So what we want customers to 43 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 3: have a look at is if they have got people 44 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 3: next door that has got power on and they haven't, 45 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 3: please give us a call because and I'd also like 46 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 3: to say that we are also now looking at As 47 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 3: you know, and I've spoken in the past about the 48 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:10,359 Speaker 3: smart me to roll out, we are trying to utilize 49 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:14,360 Speaker 3: data from those smart meters to in suburbs where we 50 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:16,240 Speaker 3: believe the powers on and start to have a look 51 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 3: through to see if those smart meters are actually communicating 52 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 3: with us, and that might give us an idea of 53 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:22,640 Speaker 3: houses that are off as well. 54 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: Okay, so I mean, I know I can speak from experience. 55 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: So at our place, we've already called power and water 56 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: on a few occasions to say that the power is 57 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: still not on. We've done everything on our side of 58 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: things in terms of getting an electrician out because we 59 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 1: do know that a tree fell on the power line. 60 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:39,800 Speaker 1: I think our tree's famous for just how much it 61 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: fell on. But you know, in our situation, then the 62 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 1: rest of the streets powered up on either side of 63 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 1: our house, but we're still not. So if there's anybody 64 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: else listening this morning that's in a similar situation, what 65 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: do they need to do? 66 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,360 Speaker 3: Look all I can say at this stage, Katie, firstly, 67 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 3: congratulations doing everything that you needed to do to get 68 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 3: your side of the things fixed up. Do exactly what 69 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 3: you've done, call in let us know we're also, as 70 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 3: I said, checking from our end so that we can 71 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 3: try to work out who we've got and what we 72 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:12,639 Speaker 3: can actually do with those. 73 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: And so what's the process from your perspective now, with 74 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,959 Speaker 1: those five thousand odds that are still without power, what's 75 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: the what's the process. 76 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:25,359 Speaker 3: So today we're concentrating on restoring power to a number 77 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 3: of suburbs and I've just got a bit of a 78 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 3: list here. So Neimolock Road, lud Miller, Lee Point Road, Berrima, Jingly, 79 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 3: East Arm and Alowa is our focus at the moment. 80 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 3: We have a number of complex jobs. And when I 81 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 3: say complex jobs, they're ones where we've got to remove 82 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 3: infrastructure that's been damaged like poles or cross arms or whatever. 83 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 3: Where we have multiple bays of wires down that have 84 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 3: got to be restrung. Some high voltage assets need replacing, 85 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 3: so they might be transformers things like that that have 86 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 3: been damaged. And in some areas we still have some 87 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 3: very large trees over lines that we need to remove. 88 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 3: But those complex jobs are in areas Lee Point Road 89 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:16,160 Speaker 3: at the Buffalo Creek end, Jingly, Wellington Parade in Alowa, 90 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 3: Stuart Highway and berram Are at the JB. Hithai Side, 91 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,719 Speaker 3: Nema Luck Drive in lud Miller Stuart Highway near Robbie 92 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 3: Robins Reserve, Kennedy Road, Humpty Do, Dundee Beach, and Gunpoint. 93 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 3: So their jobs that are a bit more complex. So 94 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 3: we're concentrating on those ones I said earlier, and then 95 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 3: we're moving on to sort of planning and getting things 96 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:39,160 Speaker 3: ready for some of these more complex jobs. 97 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: So when do you anticipate that everybody's going to be. 98 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:43,920 Speaker 2: Back up and running. 99 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 3: That question is one that we keep asking ourselves as well. 100 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 3: As I've been sort of saying there's going to be 101 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:53,719 Speaker 3: a bit of a tail to this. I don't know 102 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 3: how long that tail is, But as we get the 103 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:59,839 Speaker 3: bulk of the customers on, we'll be starting to concentrate 104 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 3: on on a lot more of those single or potentially 105 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 3: double ones that come from different transformers and things, and 106 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:08,359 Speaker 3: we'll start to be getting a clearer picture of what's left. 107 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: So I guess if you're someone like me who's in 108 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 1: a situation where everybody else in your suburb appears to 109 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: be on, you may be out for another few days. 110 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 2: At the moment. 111 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:20,599 Speaker 3: It could be that you're back on this afternoon. It 112 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 3: might be that you might be a few more days. 113 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 3: I couldn't really give you a. 114 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 1: I guess that makes it really difficult for people to plan. 115 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 1: I know that that's you know, that's not not your problem. 116 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 1: You guys are out there trying to do things. But 117 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: it makes it tough for people. 118 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:37,039 Speaker 3: Right, it does, And it is a difficult one because 119 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 3: we are trying to get the bulk of our people, 120 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:44,359 Speaker 3: of our customers back on first. So as we start 121 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 3: to look through and get those large ones, until we 122 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 3: then get the picture of whether it's five 'ten or 123 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 3: one hundred people that are still without power. As an 124 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,599 Speaker 3: individual basis, it's hard to actually tell that one. But 125 00:05:56,520 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 3: you know, I really do understand the frustrations of people 126 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 3: are having. I really thank them for their patients. I 127 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 3: do know that as this wears on, that patients we're 128 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 3: within and we are doing the best that we can 129 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 3: do at the moment to sort of work through these 130 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 3: as quickly as possible. 131 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 1: So are you pretty hopeful? I guess that you'll get 132 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:19,720 Speaker 1: another big chunk of people on this afternoon though or 133 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:20,600 Speaker 1: throughout today. 134 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 3: We are very hopeful that we'll get another very large 135 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 3: chunk on through the course of this day. 136 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:28,160 Speaker 1: So at this point in time, we've got about fourteen thousand, 137 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 1: nine hundred online at about five thousand left. Yes, yeah, 138 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 1: Now if you've got crews that have come from other 139 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: locations that they arrived now to be able to help out. 140 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, so we've got crews from Catherine Alice Springs, Tenant 141 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:43,920 Speaker 3: Creek who have been up here. We've also got crews 142 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 3: from vegetation contractors who are helping us with those complex 143 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 3: tree removals. Just even on that it's removing trees from 144 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:56,480 Speaker 3: power lines. Isn't as simple as just cutting them and 145 00:06:56,560 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 3: letting them go because as you can imagine, they're under 146 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 3: tension when they actually come down. So people are going 147 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 3: to be very cautious if they're just hanging over onlines 148 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:07,719 Speaker 3: because they can they can just fling up like a 149 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 3: rubber band as things happen. So it is it is 150 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 3: a job that they have to work through, and in 151 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 3: some cases they have to cut the lines first before 152 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 3: they can cut the tree and then repair the lines. 153 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 1: It can be quite complex. 154 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 2: It can be quite complex. 155 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 1: And what about them with some of our more senior 156 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 1: people living around the Northern territory, you know, just powerwater 157 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:31,239 Speaker 1: sort of go out and make them a priority as well. 158 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 3: I think again it'll be if we've got people who 159 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 3: are in a position where they're either needing you any 160 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 3: medical whatever. Vulnerable people we do have. We do understand 161 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 3: where our life support customers are. We but if there 162 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:50,240 Speaker 3: are people who have just certainly ring in and make 163 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 3: it known, and then we can at least sort of 164 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 3: see how we plan and prioritize some of those things. 165 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: We've had a couple of questions about the you know, 166 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: like about the map and it, you know, whether it's 167 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 1: actually showing the places that are back online. I know 168 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 1: that some people are saying they're powers back online, but 169 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 1: they're still coming up as red. Is it sort of 170 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 1: real time or not. 171 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 3: It's not quite real time, Katie, As you can imagine. 172 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 3: As we're out in the field doing these things. We 173 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 3: gather the data, we send it back in and people 174 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 3: update and that can be out by some periods. 175 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: That's one of the other questions was how come some 176 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 1: of the locations are pink and others are read. 177 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 2: Let's just say that's that's a foible of the system there. 178 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:37,839 Speaker 1: If they're all even though they're different shades, they mean 179 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: the same thing. 180 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:41,840 Speaker 3: It's something to do, and it's out of my depth, 181 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 3: something to do with overlays on our system. 182 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 1: Okay, so it's nothing, you know, nothing to be concerned about. 183 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 1: All right, Well, Mike will let you go because I 184 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 1: know you've got a busy day ahead. But I guess, 185 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 1: to anybody out there that's still without power today, what 186 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 1: do you say to them? 187 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:00,200 Speaker 3: Look, we're working with our teams as hard as we 188 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 3: can to get people back on power. I would say 189 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 3: hopefully over the course of this day, we're going to 190 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:09,440 Speaker 3: get another very large chunk of people back on and 191 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 3: then we'll start to work into those that are remaining. 192 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:14,320 Speaker 2: You know. 193 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:18,360 Speaker 3: I thank everybody again for the patients they're having and yeah, 194 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:20,480 Speaker 3: we are trying our best to get these things done. 195 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 1: Well. Mike Besselink, Executive General Manager of Core Operations, thank 196 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:26,959 Speaker 1: you as always for coming in. And I don't know, 197 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 1: hopefully by tomorrow or the next day, it will be 198 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: the last time you've got to come on this week 199 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: because everybody will be back on. 200 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 2: I look forward to that day. I'm sure you're hoping 201 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 2: for it. Yeah, good stuff. 202 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:36,680 Speaker 1: Thank you,