Unions slam TasNetworks contractors after gelignite blast on fire ban day causes 6ha bushfire
Broadmarsh residents still upset over last week’s bushfire sparked by blasting despite the high fire danger hope to get answers to questions tonight when TasNetworks face the public. LATEST >>
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THE Broadmarsh-Elderslie community will tonight have a chance to get some answers to their many questions 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 confirmed this morning company representatives would attend a meeting at the Broadmarsh Hall to answer concerns lingering from the dangerous incident.
A spokesman said the community had invited the electricity distributor to come and have a chat at the regular monthly meeting of the Elderslie Progress Association.
“We’re happy to come and answer questions, listen to people’s views and concerns, and talk through the possible learnings,” he said.
A 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 revalant 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 vegetation 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.
Unions slam TasNetworks contractors
UNIONS have raised concerns over the safety issues that resulted in a six-hectare bushfire in the state’s south on Monday.
A Tasmania Fire Service investigation cleared TasNetworks of any wrongdoing after a pole fire led to a blaze at Broadmarsh.
Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union state organiser Lee Archer said the fire was inevitable due to TasNetworks’ subcontracting.
“Thankfully no one was hurt and the community didn’t suffer irreparable damage this time round, but TasNetworks’ love affair with outsourcing work will continue to pose a risk to community safety,” she said.
“If this was done, like it should have been, by TasNetworks employees, this wouldn’t have happened due to their training, systems and knowledge.”
United Firefighters Union of Australia secretary Leigh Hills said government business enterprises like TasNetworks have the same responsibilities as everyone else to not undertake activities likely to cause fire on declared fire ban days.
“TasNetworks or its subcontractors should now be billed and forced to pay for the cost of the TFS resources used. The Tasmanian public should not have to pay for the mistakes make by reckless contractors.”
TasNetworks is conducting a review of the incident.
Operations network head Jason King all incidents are routinely reviewed for possible learning and improvement.
“Despite the findings of the TFS investigation, we’ll be reviewing the incident as well as work practices under total fire ban conditions,” he said.
Opposition energy spokesman David O’Byrne called for an independent investigation into the bungle.
“This incident occurred due to the outsourcing of work and an independent investigation is a must,” he said.
“As a state-government owned business it is the government’s responsibility to ensure best practice is being undertaken.”
Energy Minister Guy Barnett and Police, Fire and Emergency Management Minister Mark Shelton said to suggest the incident had not been properly investigated was an “unbelievable attack” on the competency of the Tasmania Fire Service.
“The TFS investigation, appropriately conducted at arm’s length from government, confirmed there was no breach of the fire ban requirements and the cause of the fire was determined to be the fallen power pole, not the use of explosives,” they said.
“In addition to this independent investigation, which Mr O’Byrne refuses to acknowledge, TasNetworks has also committed to undertaking its own investigation to ascertain exactly what occurred to identify any learnings, which is entirely appropriate.”
Originally published as Unions slam TasNetworks contractors after gelignite blast on fire ban day causes 6ha bushfire
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