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Electricity has been restored throughout North Otago after a supply line fault cut power to about 8500 consumers for more than two hours.
The fault in one of two lines supplying Oamaru from the Waitaki power station caused the cut about 9.45am. Power was restored just before midday.
Power supplier Network Waitaki operations manager Derek Atkinson said Transpower had taken one of the supply lines out of service for maintenance and a fault had developed on the only other line.
About 80 per cent of Network Waitaki's customers throughout North Otago, including the Alliance freezing works at Pukeuri, north of Oamaru, and other major commercial users, were affected.
Mr Atkinson said the only connection still without power was an irrigation pumping station at Black Point, 10km southeast of Duntroon, which was supplied by the line taken out of service.
"Hopefully Transpower will find the fault on the No 1 line and get power to them later today," he said.
- NZPA
