Peacock cuts power?

Press, 4 May 1984, Page 2

Peacock cuts power?

Nelson reporter Minister of Energy and Tasman Electric Power Board electricians worked through the night to restore power to all areas served by the burnt-out Motueka substation yesterday. Power was restored to all areas by 8.20 a.m. yesterday after a fire in the substation cut power at 5.26 p.m. on Wednesday. The acting district manager of the Ministry, Mr John Walkey, said it now appeared that a peacock which flew into power lines feeding Riwaka, caused a fault which a circuit breaker in the substation failed to clear. This then short-circuited and started a fire which damaged other apparatus and blacked out Motueka and some surrounding areas. All other circuit breakers in the substation except that feeding Riwaka were brought back into commission during the night and yesterday. After a break-in at a Motueka shop, Motueka business people mounted

their own patrols during the black-out. In a smash-and-grab raid, an offender threw a lump of concrete through the window of Davenport’s Gift and Sound Centre. Cassette radios valued at $l5OO were stolen. It was the sixth time the shop had been burgled. About 10,000 people were affected by the fire. Two

schools, Brooklyn and Riwaka, did not open yesterday, the Press Association reports. The black-out resulted in many people going without their normal evening meal on Wednesday, most had no water supply, toilets would not flush and sewers did not work because pumps were out. A hotel had to close its bars.