November 5, 2025 • 8 mins
Paul Blue of Powernet says southerners should pat themselves on the back for the way they have handled the last couple of weeks.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:15):
Now we've collaborated with the South and Rural Support Trust
here on the Muster to catch up with individuals regarding
the weather situation there was experienced two weeks ago. Of course,
shout out Community Trust South for sponsoring this segment. Now
we're just talking about two different individuals, different farmers, people
involved in the rural industry, about the situation. It's how
it's unfolded. And the person I'm speaking to today, well,
(00:39):
it's fair to see he's had quite a bit hones
plate in more.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Ways than one.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Paul Blue is the chief executive of Power in that
and joins us this afternoon to give us a rundown
on a rather hectic couple of weeks down here in
the South.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Paul, welcome to the Muster. Thanks to your time.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Ah, thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Firstly, how would you describe the last two weeks from
your perspective?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
I would I'll go with intense. It's it's certainly been,
you know, it's not something we've ever seen before down here.
The devastation just just widespread and just everywhere. Often you'll
have an event that might affect the power network, that
(01:20):
could be that'll often be a little bit more localized,
but this was well and truly across southern to Tago
and originally all the way up to Canterbury, but southern
to Tago got hit particularly hard.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
The magnitude of the winds were they underestimated.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Initially initially, and I certainly wouldn't want to be a
you know, with a person for New Zealand. It's a
it's a hard, hard, hard few islands to get right.
But leading up to it, we were under the model
that we saw were that it was going to be
(01:57):
quite a bit less than what it was.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
I'll also acknowledge all the workers for power nets and
everybody helping to get the province up and running. Again,
did it to southwest to Tigo? How many workers if
you had on the ground down here in the.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
South So we have about one hundred and fifty blindsman
and we have brought in about an extra seventy or ready.
So yeah, we got up to about two hundred and
forty I think it was, but that's just you know,
people working the lines. Apart from that, there's been well
(02:31):
over five hundred by the time you take into account burists,
civil people and traffic management, et cetera. So the amount
of people helping in that restoration purely from us let
alone the people that are doing things for the councils
to open roads. It's been a massive undertaking.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
It certainly has been.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
It's a massive team method and shout out to everybody
who's been involved. But as far as the workers and
the likes how they handle the last couple of the ways,
because it's been pretty intense, it has, you know.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
We have we've had everything thrown at us. You know,
obviously the winds rain, then the Tago area particular snowed,
so the weather has been very challenging to get the
restoration on in a timely manner. But the teams are amazing.
(03:23):
They they always step up. This is you know. They
they thrive in this environment and they have the support
we've had from the surrounding distribution networks that have just
thrown whatever they can our way that we needed, be
it from from gear to people, the trucks, you name it.
(03:44):
We're just the support we've had has.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Been amazing and a lot of cafes and local businesses
have got on board as well and made food and
drinks available to the workers as they go about their
job too.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
No, that's right. They have look that the communities and
I think that's you know, just to shout out to
the entire region. It's a region that people support each other.
You see it. You know, there have been people out
there with extreme hardship through not having power for two weeks.
(04:15):
And to help people band to get it help each
other is quite quite amazing. Get here.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
There was a yesterday afternoon on the press release around
four thirty sixty seven people in South Totago or businesses
or farms we're still without power forty eight in the South.
This number when you're hoping to have everything up and
running again, a lot of those are sheds.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
What we're doing right now is so those are connection points.
So what we're really doing over the next day or
two is we are trying to get in touch with
everybody that we that So for example in the South
and there we can see most of smart meters to
go you know you do have power or not. We
are Every data set is not perfect, so we try
(05:00):
and verify. And so my request would be through this
is that if you don't have power and you don't
believe that anyone has been in touch, you know, I
just don't want anyone to slip through the cracks. So
if you haven't got power, or you know of somebody
who haven't, please call us again if they've called, or
(05:21):
call us if they've never called us before. That is
the message. I don't want to leave anybody behind. So
if that's probably the message that I.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Have, have you heard a few of those? Since this
is going unnoticed lately, not that we're.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Aware, but that doesn't mean it doesn't.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Exist now regarding trees and power lines, because I think
the closest I can remember is twenty seventeen. It was devastating,
but this is certainly next level. Do you think this
would be a catalyst for change regarding how you have
to manage trees around lines and such.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
I think my self and every distribution business would love
that to be the case. We would like some tree reforms.
The headway were looked at last year and that not
a lot happened, particularly trees which we regard as out
(06:19):
of zone. Inside his zone, we can request a tree
be trimmed, but it really is, as you can see
in this particular cases, trees that can fall onto a
line from a long distance away, and that is what's
really about ninety ninety five percent of the outages, and
this has been caused by trees and big trees in
this case falling onto lights. So we would barely love
(06:42):
to see some strength and regulation around tree management, ra.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Or connectivity has been a real problem. You're not that
as much as anyone trying to get calms going with
your teams. Do you think this is something that has
come to the foe finally we might get some resolution,
perhaps from your perspective, I think yes.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
I don't want to speak on behalf of the telcos.
I don't think that's fear. I think they worked really
well with us. We had we had them in the
office and we would and we would we would both
look at who was working in what areas that we're
how fast they could get out there. So I think
that probably is more of a question for the talcos.
I you know, connectivity in rural areas is always difficult.
(07:28):
But the question is that could it be more resilient
to I think that that's a question, but probably not
one for that I should answer.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
So now are at the stage was saying what's happened
over the past couple of weeks. Perhaps a lot of
a lot of businesses look at a plan B. When
it comes to power, you still it. Imagine something else
that's come up, you know.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
I think big wins like this don't often come into
southhond you know. Is it a sign of could it
happen again? I think I think people do need to
plan for it happening again. We don't know, of course,
but you know it's happened, so could it happen? I
think from a resilience point of view, if trees are
taking out lines, particularly on your proper, and you can
(08:09):
see that in generators, investing in the generator would be
a good move from a resilliance point of view.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Hey, Paul Blue, Chief executive of Powering It, thank you
very much for your time and congratulations to your organization
and what you've achieved over the past couple of weeks.
You've all done a sterling job. Thanks for your time.
Thank you very much, my courage, Paul Blue, Chief Executive
of Power.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
This this nidge, what heads next? This is the master
good line line
Now we've collaborated with the South and Rural Support Trust
here on the Muster to catch up with individuals regarding
the weather situation there was experienced two weeks ago. Of course,
shout out Community Trust South for sponsoring this segment. Now
we're just talking about two different individuals, different farmers, people
involved in the rural industry, about the situation. It's how
it's unfolded. And the person I'm speaking to today, well,
(00:39):
it's fair to see he's had quite a bit hones
plate in more.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Ways than one.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Paul Blue is the chief executive of Power in that
and joins us this afternoon to give us a rundown
on a rather hectic couple of weeks down here in
the South.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Paul, welcome to the Muster. Thanks to your time.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Ah, thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Firstly, how would you describe the last two weeks from
your perspective?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
I would I'll go with intense. It's it's certainly been,
you know, it's not something we've ever seen before down here.
The devastation just just widespread and just everywhere. Often you'll
have an event that might affect the power network, that
(01:20):
could be that'll often be a little bit more localized,
but this was well and truly across southern to Tago
and originally all the way up to Canterbury, but southern
to Tago got hit particularly hard.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
The magnitude of the winds were they underestimated.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Initially initially, and I certainly wouldn't want to be a
you know, with a person for New Zealand. It's a
it's a hard, hard, hard few islands to get right.
But leading up to it, we were under the model
that we saw were that it was going to be
(01:57):
quite a bit less than what it was.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
I'll also acknowledge all the workers for power nets and
everybody helping to get the province up and running. Again,
did it to southwest to Tigo? How many workers if
you had on the ground down here in the.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
South So we have about one hundred and fifty blindsman
and we have brought in about an extra seventy or ready.
So yeah, we got up to about two hundred and
forty I think it was, but that's just you know,
people working the lines. Apart from that, there's been well
(02:31):
over five hundred by the time you take into account burists,
civil people and traffic management, et cetera. So the amount
of people helping in that restoration purely from us let
alone the people that are doing things for the councils
to open roads. It's been a massive undertaking.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
It certainly has been.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
It's a massive team method and shout out to everybody
who's been involved. But as far as the workers and
the likes how they handle the last couple of the ways,
because it's been pretty intense, it has, you know.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
We have we've had everything thrown at us. You know,
obviously the winds rain, then the Tago area particular snowed,
so the weather has been very challenging to get the
restoration on in a timely manner. But the teams are amazing.
(03:23):
They they always step up. This is you know. They
they thrive in this environment and they have the support
we've had from the surrounding distribution networks that have just
thrown whatever they can our way that we needed, be
it from from gear to people, the trucks, you name it.
(03:44):
We're just the support we've had has.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Been amazing and a lot of cafes and local businesses
have got on board as well and made food and
drinks available to the workers as they go about their
job too.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
No, that's right. They have look that the communities and
I think that's you know, just to shout out to
the entire region. It's a region that people support each other.
You see it. You know, there have been people out
there with extreme hardship through not having power for two weeks.
(04:15):
And to help people band to get it help each
other is quite quite amazing. Get here.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
There was a yesterday afternoon on the press release around
four thirty sixty seven people in South Totago or businesses
or farms we're still without power forty eight in the South.
This number when you're hoping to have everything up and
running again, a lot of those are sheds.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
What we're doing right now is so those are connection points.
So what we're really doing over the next day or
two is we are trying to get in touch with
everybody that we that So for example in the South
and there we can see most of smart meters to
go you know you do have power or not. We
are Every data set is not perfect, so we try
(05:00):
and verify. And so my request would be through this
is that if you don't have power and you don't
believe that anyone has been in touch, you know, I
just don't want anyone to slip through the cracks. So
if you haven't got power, or you know of somebody
who haven't, please call us again if they've called, or
(05:21):
call us if they've never called us before. That is
the message. I don't want to leave anybody behind. So
if that's probably the message that I.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Have, have you heard a few of those? Since this
is going unnoticed lately, not that we're.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Aware, but that doesn't mean it doesn't.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Exist now regarding trees and power lines, because I think
the closest I can remember is twenty seventeen. It was devastating,
but this is certainly next level. Do you think this
would be a catalyst for change regarding how you have
to manage trees around lines and such.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
I think my self and every distribution business would love
that to be the case. We would like some tree reforms.
The headway were looked at last year and that not
a lot happened, particularly trees which we regard as out
(06:19):
of zone. Inside his zone, we can request a tree
be trimmed, but it really is, as you can see
in this particular cases, trees that can fall onto a
line from a long distance away, and that is what's
really about ninety ninety five percent of the outages, and
this has been caused by trees and big trees in
this case falling onto lights. So we would barely love
(06:42):
to see some strength and regulation around tree management, ra.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Or connectivity has been a real problem. You're not that
as much as anyone trying to get calms going with
your teams. Do you think this is something that has
come to the foe finally we might get some resolution,
perhaps from your perspective, I think yes.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
I don't want to speak on behalf of the telcos.
I don't think that's fear. I think they worked really
well with us. We had we had them in the
office and we would and we would we would both
look at who was working in what areas that we're
how fast they could get out there. So I think
that probably is more of a question for the talcos.
I you know, connectivity in rural areas is always difficult.
(07:28):
But the question is that could it be more resilient
to I think that that's a question, but probably not
one for that I should answer.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
So now are at the stage was saying what's happened
over the past couple of weeks. Perhaps a lot of
a lot of businesses look at a plan B. When
it comes to power, you still it. Imagine something else
that's come up, you know.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
I think big wins like this don't often come into
southhond you know. Is it a sign of could it
happen again? I think I think people do need to
plan for it happening again. We don't know, of course,
but you know it's happened, so could it happen? I
think from a resilience point of view, if trees are
taking out lines, particularly on your proper, and you can
(08:09):
see that in generators, investing in the generator would be
a good move from a resilliance point of view.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Hey, Paul Blue, Chief executive of Powering It, thank you
very much for your time and congratulations to your organization
and what you've achieved over the past couple of weeks.
You've all done a sterling job. Thanks for your time.
Thank you very much, my courage, Paul Blue, Chief Executive
of Power.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
This this nidge, what heads next? This is the master
good line line
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