Smiths Gully family in stoush with AusNet Services over underground power lines

A Smiths Gully family will be left without power on days of total fire ban unless they pay $30,000 to have an overhead power line put underground.

Richard Morris is in a stoush with AusNet Services over powerlines. Picture: Rob Leeson

A Smiths Gully family will be left without power on days of total fire ban unless they pay $30,000 to have an overhead power line put underground.

Richard Morris’ private power line was deemed “faulty” during one of AusNet Services’ routine inspections last year.

STATE GOVERNMENT’S SP AUSNET TAX GRAB SOARS TO $136M

CLASS ACTION: BLACK SATURDAY SURVIVORS HANDED $418.5M IN COMPENSATION

The outcome meant the faulty power line had to be moved underground to decrease any fire risk, under legislation which came into affect after the deadly Black Saturday fires in 2009.

Mr Morris’ refusal to pay resulted in AusNet Services disconnecting his power on January 4, a day of total fire ban, leaving him to swelter as the mercury soared above 40C.

The father-of-two said he did not object to having his power line moved underground, but claimed AusNet Services dug the pit on his Salters Rush Rd property incorrectly.

Richard Morris’ power was cut by AusNet Services after he refused to pay to have an overhead powerline placed underground. Picture: Rob Leeson.

He said he had already paid $5000 for an electrician to install a meter box near the agreed location, but a pit was dug 80m away from the spot instead.

Mr Morris said a $5000 job turned into a $30,000 project due to the blunder.

“We have to now dig a trench 600mm deep from this pit to the initial location both myself and AusNet Services agreed upon or to the existing meter on the house,” he said.

“To do that we’d have to come onto our neighbours property, there’s also a building in the way which has got underground services already — otherwise we have to dig a trench down through the garden, through a retaining wall and all the way to the house.

“It’s ten times the size of work and it’s not a small amount of money — we aren’t millionaires living out here.”

AusNet Services spokeswoman Helina Lilley said the situation was “regrettable”.

“If a customer hasn’t been able to complete actions by a declared total fire ban day, we are forced to turn them off for community safety,” she said.

“Having a private line is a serious responsibility and these private lines have been known to start bushfires.”

Ms Lilley said placing the pit in Mr Morris’ desired location would require building a separate customised easement which would cut across the back of a neighbouring property.

“Mr Morris is aware that customised solutions are available if the customer can successfully negotiate an agreed outcome with impacted neighbouring properties and are willing to pay the difference of building a new easement instead of making use of existing infrastructure that is able to support the supply of electricity to the property,” she said.

But Mr Morris said AusNet Services acknowledged his “preferred location” for the underground pit in September 5 last year with a “signed agreement”.

“It’s not that I cannot physically access that pit, it’s not that I can’t free up $30,000, which god knows where it’s going to come from but we’ll find it, it’s that we had a signed agreement as to where that pit would go,” Mr Morris said.

He reported the incident to the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria, which is now investigating.

Mr Morris hoped for an appropriate solution, but said he did not look forward to facing future days of total fire ban without power.

“Power is critical to monitoring bushfires, to defending yourself and to actually keeping cool,” he said.

“On January 4 my wife evacuated and my two other sons took off.

“They don’t want to be here because they were really traumatised in the bushfires (Black Saturday) — they lost a lot of friends and the last thing they want to do is to be somewhere that’s completely undefended.”

MORE NEWS

TEACHER ESCAPES JAIL FOR SEX ACTS ON TEEN

FAMILY RUSHED TO HOSPITAL AFTER POLICE PURSUIT CRASH