Independent blackout report stays secret

Energy Minister David Parker has received an independent report on Auckland's June 12 blackout, but its contents will not be made public until Cabinet has seen it.

The report, prepared by engineering consultancy Connell Wagner, is a review of an earlier report from national grid operator Transpower into the outage that cost Auckland companies millions of dollars in lost business.

That report, released publicly last week, found two corroded shackles at the Otahuhu substation broke in high wind, bringing down earth wires and cutting power to most of the city.

But Mr Parker said it left several questions unanswered.

"Was there meant to be, and was there in practice, a physical inspection of the shackles from a close enough position to see that they were corroded?" he said at the time.

That question, and about 20 others, would be answered by the independent review, he said.

A spokeswoman for Mr Parker today said the report had been received overnight, but would go to Cabinet before being released publicly.

She did not yet know if the report would go to the next meeting of Cabinet on Monday.

Mr Parker has given Transpower until early August to come up with a plan to improve the security of Auckland's power supply.

However, it could take up to two years to reduce Auckland's reliance on the Otahuhu sub-station.

The options Transpower will consider include improving the Otahuhu sub-station, putting a new link into Penrose and Albany and a new eastern power corridor using the proposed Waikato 400kv line into Pakuranga.

- NZPA