ELECTRICITY SUPPLY FAILURE IN CENTRAL AUCKLAND

Energy Minister Max Bradford today announced that the Coalition Government had decided there would be a formal inquiry into the Auckland electricity failure.

Mr Bradford said he would be reporting back to Cabinet in two weeks' time with terms of reference for the inquiry and the form it would take, as well as membership.

"The Chair of Mercury Energy, Mr Jim Macaulay, and the Mayor Auckland, Mr Les Mills, have said they will cooperate fully with any inquiry the Government sets up," Mr Bradford said.

'The Government's immediate concern is to ensure that Mercury Energy repairs the failed electricity cables in the shortest possible time, and that the emergency services are able to meet any problems until power supplies are restored,' Mr Bradford said.

The Government's primary role at this stage is to ensure that the civil defence and public safety and health issues arising from the power supply failure are well managed. Central government will back up the work of Mayor Les Mills and the Auckland City Council, he said.

Civil defence in the area is being coordinated by the Mayor of Auckland and being managed by the Auckland City Civil Defence team with back-up and advice from the Ministry of Civil Defence. This has been working effectively to date.

'Government agencies will continue to assist the Auckland local authorities as fully as possible in their management of the civil defence and public safety issues. Meetings with Mercury Energy, Police, Ministry of Civil Defence, relevant City Council departments and Defence Force representatives are being held regularly,' Mr Bradford said.

The Government is also asking the Chair of Transpower to provide appropriate technical assistance and cooperation to Mercury.

He said that, given the seriousness of the situation, Cabinet has established an Ad Hoc Committee of Ministers comprising the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Ministers of Energy, Finance, Commerce, Police and Civil Defence and Tourism to monitor developments and to coordinate the Government's response.

Mr Bradford concluded by stressing: "It is critical that Mercury restore power as soon as possible. It is totally unacceptable that our largest city should be without electricity. In the meantime, I would ask Aucklanders to be patient and to do their best to cooperate with the local authorities and Mercury."