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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 1468 asked in the Legislative Council on 28 November 2019 by Hon Martin Aldridge

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

BUSH FIRES AMENDMENT REGULATIONS

1468. Hon MARTIN ALDRIDGE to the minister representing the Minister for Energy:

I refer to the recent gazettal of the Bush Fires Amendment Regulations 2019.

(1) What impact will the revised regulations have on the operations of Western Power during periods when a total fire ban or a vehicle movement ban has been declared?

(2) Will the minister please table the relevant Western Power policy relating to vehicle movement and operational restrictions to minimise the risk of bushfire?

(3) How does Western Power balance the risk of commencing a bushfire with the obvious risk that a power fault may well result in a bushfire risk itself if detection is delayed?

(4) Does Western Power satisfy the definition of a public authority in the aforementioned regulations; and, if so, does division 9 apply to Western Power operations with regard to off-road activity?

Hon STEPHEN DAWSON replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. The following information has been provided to me by the Minister for Energy.

(1) The revised regulations per se have no impact on Western Power at this time, as Western Power has a total fire ban exemption that is valid until 30 June 2020, unless suspended or revoked. The exemption applies to Western Power employees and its contractors to conduct planned and unplanned works on the electrical network throughout WA during a declared total fire ban.

(2) I table the fire precautions work instruction and total fire ban risk assessment plan.

[See paper 3457.]

(3) Western Power manages the safety risk of starting a bushfire through the application of standard operating procedures for restoring electricity distribution feeders and transmission lines during total fire ban or fire weather days. Power reinstatement of overhead powerlines due to faults is undertaken through complying with the total fire ban requirements of undertaking a risk assessment or reinstating the power when safe to do so based on the fire danger index.

(4) Western Power believes it is a public authority, and, as such, the division on off-road activity may apply. These activities are outlined with relevant controls in the Western Power fire precautions work instruction and workplace risk assessment plan.