A POWER outage in the local area left more than 7000 homes and businesses in the dark for up to three hours on Sunday.

Between 3.30pm and 6.05pm Country Energy had an emergency power interruption that blacked out the Inverell, Delungra, Kings Plains, Tingha, Bukulla and Wallangra areas.

Country Energy regional manager Matt Patterson said the company became aware of a serious problem with the power network at approximately 11.40am after the network sensed difficulties in the control room.

Inverell-based crews were sent to investigate and discovered internal rot to be the main culprit in a cross-arm of one of the main powerlines in the Inverell substation on Wynne Street.

"A cross-arm on one of the main powerlines out of the Inverell zone substation in Wynne Street failed due to internal rot, and as it was internal, it was not visible during our routine inspections," Mr Patterson said.

"We required an emergency power interruption, as if it was not fixed it had the potential to cause a lengthy unplanned power interruption to residents at anytime, and given it was so close to our zone substation, the only way to fix it was to switch all the power off from the zone substation."

Mr Patterson said the problem was taken very seriously and fully planned before power was disrupted in the area.

"Everything that was possible was done to reduce the length of the emergency power interruption, and power was not switched off until 3.30pm, when the job had been fully planned, and additional employees and equipment had been brought in."

Grocery stores in Inverell were made aware of the power interruption before it took place.

Country Energy has apologised for the emergency power interruption, and thanked residents for their understanding while repairs took place.

© 2010 Inverell Times

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