Businesses lose at least $1m due to power cut

File photo.

Taupō's mayor says businesses lost at least $1 million as a result of yesterday's power cut, which left the popular tourist centre like a "ghost town".

About 16,500 lost power for most of the day as a result of a fault at the Transpower substation, which occurred at about 9am.

Mayor David Trewavas says most businesses lost a full day's trading, with tourists heading to other nearby towns like Turangi instead.

"We've put it at a cost of a minimum of $1 million when you divide all the businesses up by an average amount per day. But then you've got the staff costs as well so ... hopefully they will be covered with their staff costs but not everyone would be."

He says the same thing happened about a year ago and he would take up the matter with whatever authority he needed to, including central government.

"It was a ghost town and most retailers, in fact, pretty much all retailers, had gone home."

He would be calling a meeting with the power companies and utility owners.

Power had been restored to the most properties in the district last night.

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1 comment

Why no backup power source?

Posted on 20-11-2018 11:55 | By Murray.Guy

We all know that electricity will quite possibly, at some point in time, not be available to us in our home and or in business, due to an unplanned event, for a variety of reasons. Backup generators are very much more available, affordable and reliable these days and I don't understand why, when building new homes, premises, why, when the power supply is critical (phones, meal preparations, ...) people don't take the necessary steps to ensure generator availability.


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