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the point is that the pole holding the sub in Pine Ridge rd burnt down when the oil exploded from sub on the wooden pole and fell across the street trapping everybody behind it with the fire coming up the ridge on both sides and the pole stopped them escaping.
I’m talking about the sub pole in the first pic that blocked the street ....not this one burnt off and hanging in the second pic.  That’s just an example of what happens after the fires gone by.

Down in Vic we have areas that are designated ‘green’ areas .....the authority is forced to use these ‘green’ poles.  they are higher maintenance and need treatment and testing every so often. But I think they are similar in cost and the only reason other than supporting the plantation industry would be aesthetics I’ll bet.
But I shouldn’t say, because I don’t know.  But I do know that Pine ridge rd wouldn’t have been blocked but for the timber substation pole.
Too much said really Dave ....Pine Ridge Rd was crawling with forensic teams .....I just hope they didn’t miss the obvious.  Will have to wait and see what turns out of the Commission.

I’m thinking everybody should have a closer look at what these guys believe Spared........seems to work for them okay.

Watching the commission of these fires last night i see the ‘community’ has asked that the Commission focus on the cause of the five major fires that were started by the electrical grids failure.
Specifically pointing at the SWER (SingleWireEarthReturn) system we use here in the aussie bush.
Dangerous bastard it is and we should never have installed it.
People need to be educated about this stuff and not just accept pole fires as can’t be helped. SWER is the cause and the system needs to be looked at.
Replacing the single/one 12,700volt wire system with a wired earth return (dual wire) would cause some massive employment ......may be a good time to get it done!

I’d guess that this is pretty well not known to most townies that we have this SWER system ....but mark my words you guys are gunna get educated about this over the next little while…...papers will be full of it when the reporters get their heads around the implications of ‘earth return’ .......may take a moment however :D

Interesting to see that no one wants to talk about the SWER system in the Commission as yet!
Maybe I’m missing something in the print media, but online and on TV/radio I’ve heard very little reporting about Tim Tobin SC getting up in the Royal Commission and saying that five of the bushfires were being investigated by the police for possible power line ignition sources.
I caught Tobin in the Commisssion myself on A-Pac and I think he said Weerite, Coleraine, Horsham, Mudgegonga, Kinglake , and Pomborneit. Tobin stated he was seeking leave to appear on behalf of “committees” of affected persons. i.e. it looks like a class action.
It seems that powercor and spausnet as rural electricity distributors, might be the targets, but only spausnet had a barrister present to also put forward spausnet’s case to “seek leave to appear”. Teague reserved his decision in both cases.
.....I gave up and went to bed but i gather we’ll hear more about this.

SWER (“single wire earth return”) power lines came under repeated mention by Tobin, and he stated that under privatization, the rural SWER network was being under-maintained and falling into disrepair. Tobin identified SWER lines as alleged ignition sources of most of the fires.
Need to understand that these systems are generally 11,700 volts and any bare earth will see them shorted out .....this is the cheap SWER system we use in rural aus.
I drive a 60s technology vehicle ....but I have to comply with regulation and that is policed which I comply with.
Time to use a seperate inspector/regulator to make sure these flybynight companys are made to maintain the electrical assets in this country and stop leaning on their insurance companies after the fact.
Need to see some criminal charges layed on some bosses in my opinion before anything changes….but that’s just me :D
Will be interesting to see the findings of this commission.