Energex has issued a warning to people who interfere with the electricity network that they are risking their own lives and the community’s safety.
Area Manager, Charlie Casa said crews investigating the cause of a power outage at Lockhart River in Far North Queensland found damage from a range of objects, including a spear from a spear gun which nearly brought down powerlines.
“These senseless acts of vandalism could easily have ended in tragedy,” Mr Casa said.
“We also found Christmas lights, a hula hoop, a power board and speaker wire entangled in powerlines — the people who threw these objects at the network could have been seriously injured or killed.”
He said these acts also put other residents at risk and caused the headache of an emergency outage in a remote community which could only be accessed by air at this time of year.
“When you throw anything at powerlines and it makes contact, you’re risking your own life, the community’s safety and a lengthy power outage,” Mr Casa said.
He said the North Queensland incident was not an isolated case and Energex and Ergon crews across the State had to repair damage caused by vandals and thieves all too regularly.
“Some of the things we see beggar belief — toys thrown at powerlines, axe marks on power poles, meter boxes and in an 11,000-volt cable in Logan, as well as numerous incidents involving the theft of copper wire from the power network across the State,” Mr Casa said.
“It needs to stop before someone gets hurt or worse. Just stay away from the electricity network — poles, powerlines, pillar boxes and substations.”
