Farmers to deny Transpower pylon access

People attending the Waikato Federated Farmers meeting near Hamilton last night. Picture / Sarah Ivey

Waikato farmers last night resolved to deny Transpower access to their pylons this summer, demanding compensation before they agree.

About 60 farmers attended a Waikato Federated Farmers meeting near Hamilton last night and resolved to refuse access for any work associated with the thermal upgrade of any lines running through their properties.

Last week Auckland Federated Farmers, representing about 50 landowners affected by power lines, voted to block Transpower access to their farms this summer.

The grid operator wants to enter the properties to undertake a $10 million uprating project, which aims to increase the amount of electricity transported on existing lines running from Whakamaru in South Waikato to Auckland.

The lines will run "hotter", meaning their tension will be increased. The amount of electricity able to be carried on the same lines will increase by 31 per cent, going from 246MVA to 323MVA.

The work is planned to roll out from November, and will finish sometime over the summer months of 2007/2008.

It is a separate, and much smaller, project than the controversial plan that aims to see giant new pylons built to hold 400KV lines.

Ahead of last night's meeting, Transpower spokesman Chris Roberts appealed to Waikato farmers to delay any decision on protest action until after a meeting between Waikato Federated Farmers and Transpower, set down for next Tuesday.

At last night's meeting, Auckland Federated Farmers spokesman John Sexton said: "They [Transpower] are running dead scared at the moment and we need to get a strong movement to back that up.

"We are going to need people power and a revolt is the only way Transpower is going to listen."

One farmer said: "Common sense says the two sides should get together behind the bike sheds and sort it out rather than going through the courts."

A farm worker wanted to know how to confront Transpower employees when they arrived at his employer's farm? "What do I do? Go out there and give them a warning shot between the eyes?"

Waikato Federated Farmers represent up to 900 landowners affected by Transpower's pylons and lines.

One of them, Steve Meier, of Matangi near Hamilton, said he had six sets of Transpower's high tension lines on his 31-hectare property.

"I've got Whakamaru A, B and C, Hamilton-Karapiro A, Arapuni-Hamilton A and another one, inclusive of their structures."

He had never been paid any money by the grid operator, he said.

"All we've had is arrogance, antagonism, and bullying."

It was time Transpower acknowledged the inconvenience by paying compensation, he said.

Transpower have a right under legislation to enter properties to undertake maintenance work and have no legal obligation to compensate landowners so long as no "injurious effect" results.

"When they force entry on October 9, next Monday morning, they will be breaching yet more protocol," Mr Meier said.

He had been in touch with the New Zealand Police and the electrical contractors which would carry out the work on behalf of Transpower, and from next week he intended to block all access to his farm.

For too long Transpower had hid behind the guise of "maintenance", he said.

"For a single round pole Telecom will offer $6500 a year rental for their right to access their structure, which is just half a metre in diameter. A pylon covers 100 square meters."

In pursuit of compensation, and the right to refuse entry to his farm, Mr Meier said he was prepared to go all the way to the Environment Court.

Mr Roberts said the grid operator would only carry out the work where contractors were welcomed on to properties. "The intention is to avoid confrontation." Any compensation claims were the responsibility of Government, not Transpower, he said.

"We don't have the mandate to essentially provide redress for perceived injustices that date back 50 years. Simply put, there are no means for us to do that. All expenditure we make has to be justified to either the Commerce Commission or the Electricity Commission. We can't make any compensation payments that under the law we are not required to make."