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.