Dear Transpower New Zealand Limited,

I am a long-time resident of Maraetai, 2018, Auckland. To my knowledge, Transpower is the owner and the government agency responsible for maintaining the power grid network in New Zealand.

We experience many frequent and lengthy power outages in our area, which occur in the same location under the same circumstances. In particular, the transformer located at the GAS petrol station on Whitford-Maraetai Road and subsequent power line surges between nr. 4 and 12 on Maraetai School Road every time it rains.

Only in the last 12 days (1st - 12 February 2023) we have lost power for 8 - 12 hours three times due to a surge at the transformer and on the lines in the same location mentioned above.

It seems that this is not a coincidence, and a lack of a robust and logistically efficient power grid network for our rapidly growing area is to blame.

Please release the following information from January 2018 until the most recent month for which data is available:

1. How many power outages and subsequent failures of the transformer at GAS Maraetai and damage to the powerlines at Maraetai School Road caused by bad weather do you have on record?

2. What has been determined to be the root cause of the failures by Vector Ltd.?

3. How old is the equipment in the location in question?

4. When was the last time the infrastructure hardware, such as the transformer and the lines, was upgraded?

5. Is there a plan for the grid upgrade in the area of East Auckland, Beachlands and Maraetai in particular?

6. Is there a timeframe for a network hardware and line replacement in the area?

As per section 16(2) of the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA), please provide this information in a machine-searchable format, such as DOC or in a PDF format.

If not all of the information I have asked for in the points above is being held by Transpower, I will be looking forward to hearing about the details of the transfer to the relevant department within the required timeline as per section 14 of the OIA.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me to discuss how I could refine my request or should you need any clarification.

As a New Zealand citizen I am eligible to make official information requests under the OIA.

Yours faithfully,

Hana Svobodova
Maraetai
2018, Auckland