CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
THE state’s energy ombudsman is investigating resident complaints over high-voltage overhead powerlines being installed without warning outside their homes in Keysborough.
Residents along a 300-metre section of Cheltenham Road’s northern side, east of Corrigan Road, had been accustomed to powerlines being buried outside their homes.
For some, it was a key attraction to living in the area.
They say without warning, works had started to install 66,000-volt overhead lines within metres of their homes.
United Energy has been petitioned by 30 residents to halt the works, which are part of a project to upgrade power supplies for Keysborough’s new housing and industrial estates.
Last month, Lyndhurst MP Martin Pakula wrote to the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria asking her to “investigate as a matter of urgency”.
A spokesman for the ombudsman said the matter had been “escalated” to an investigation, with the agreement of United Energy.
Resident Elizabeth Domanski was hopeful, though not assured of a favourable outcome.
“I think the next generation will be writing about high-voltage powerlines in the same way as asbestos is written about now.”
She was surprised that there were no meaningful legal buffers between homes and high-voltage powerlines.
A spokesman for the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency said buffer zones – 2.5 metres in Victoria – existed mainly so that the energy companies could have access to the lines for upgrades and repairs.
He said there was “no established evidence” that living near high voltage powerlines was a health hazard.
“On balance, the evidence related to childhood leukaemia is not strong enough to justify undue concern,” the ARPANSA spokesman said.
“However people should be aware of the issue in order to make informed decisions.”
The powerpole works also caused disruption to internet services in the Keysborough area.
Internet services were affected for three days due to project workers boring a hole into a telecommunications cable while installing power poles last month.
United Energy spokesman Stuart Allott confirmed it had launched an investigation into the “minor incident” in which a field crew damaged the cable while boring a pole hole on 15 May.
Telstra spokesman James Kelly said services were restored by 5pm on 19 May after a “difficult and time-consuming repair job, complicated by the type of cable damaged”.
“These situations are an important reminder to all to call Dial Before You Dig on 1100 prior to commencing any excavation works.
“In some cases Telstra will seek to recover costs arising from negligent damage to our infrastructure.”
