Repair crews power up Huonville mill site

Power has been switched back on at a wood processing site in the Huon Valley – six weeks ahead of schedule.

The Riveaux Road bushfire damaged Ta Ann’s Southwood veneer mill, forcing its temporary closure. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

POWER has been switched back on at the Southwood wood processing site in the Huon Valley six weeks ahead of schedule.

The $4.9 million fix to the Huon spur transmission line — which was significantly damaged during the summer’s bushfire crisis — saw 11km of conductor restrung.

The massive Huon Valley blaze damaged 25 power poles and left fallen trees and other debris along the 15km spur from Castle Forbes Bay to Southwood.

TasNetworks chief executive Lance Balcombe said they had five crews of 15 workers onsite to complete the restoration efforts.

It was initially thought the work would take 16 weeks and be completed sometime during May.

“We had a really good, clear run,” he said.

“Initially it was hard to get access because of safety concerns due to the significant risk trees were going to fall — and there was a significant amount of conductor on the ground.”

Mr Balcombe said $100,000 worth of repair works was given to local Huon Valley contractors for civil works and vegetation clearing.

He said they were pretty lucky to lose only 100 of about 220,000 poles across the state during the bushfires.

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Powerlines being repaired after the summer bushfires. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

Sustainable Timber Tasmania chief executive Steve Whiteley said the speed of switching the power back on allowed their customers to recommence work sooner.

Mr Whiteley said it was hoped Neville Smith Forest Products would be back to full operations by May 1.

“It’s well and truly exceeded expectations,” he said.

“There’s a good working relationship between working interests to get the job done.

“It’s also part of the recovery of the community to help get back to normality.”

Mr Whiteley said about 35,000ha of state forest had been affected by fire, 10,000ha of which was production forest.

It’s still not clear when the Ta Ann veneer mill will resume operations.

Ta Ann Tasmania general manager Robert Yong previously said a decision on the future of the mill was unlikely until mid-April.

The only remaining TasNetworks asset damaged by fire is the feeder to the Tim Shea communications tower near Maydena, which will be restored in May.

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