Angry locals quiz TasNetworks CEO
Residents demand answers on fire
SENIOR staff from TasNetworks have faced members of the Broadmarsh-Elderslie community over last week’s bushfire started by the blasting of a power pole with explosives.
Fire crews battled to bring the January 11 fire under control after a TasNetworks contractor felled a live power line by using gelignite — during a total fire ban declared in the face of a 37C day with forecast high winds.
TasNetworks company representatives including CEO Lance Balcombe attended a meeting at the Broadmarsh Hall on Monday to answer concerns lingering from the dangerous incident.
Community member Donna Blackwell said residents submitted a list of questions which TasNetworks had pledged to answer once the investigation into
the incident concluded.
“Basically what we were asking them was how could a TasNetworks contractor do blasting on a total fire ban day. There’s not regulations that say they can’t — (but) we’re asking that in future they put something like that in place,” Mrs Blackwell said.
Another resident told The Mercury the Southern Midlands community was still angry about what had happened to cause the 6ha fire.
“And the more we dig the more concerns we have,” she said.
She claimed claims regulations were not followed, especially requirements that a blasting plan be lodged with the relevant local authority – in this case the Southern Midlands Council – 24 hours before a blast takes place.
“We are asking for a guarantee such an incident won’t happen again but more than that we want answers to the many questions which have arisen since the incident,” she said.
TasNetworks admitted a contractor was excavating rock at Broadmarsh, to replace a condemned power pole. The foundation of the pole was disturbed and the ines came into contact with trees and ignited a fire.
The state’s fire service on Wednesday reminded people not to use explosives in the open air on total fire ban days and Labor called for a full inquiry into the incident.
The fire, near Andersons Rd, Broadmarsh, was reported at 2.40pm on January 11.