Australia | Power company fined $220,000 for unsafe connection with extremely high risk

Government of Western Australia | Western Power has been fined $220,000 for the unsafe supply of electricity to a house in Wundowie, north-east of Perth, where two nearby residents received electric shocks and “the entire neighbourhood was at risk,” according to a magistrate.

At Perth Magistrates Court, the network operator pleaded guilty to two offences under WA’s Electricity Regulations 1947 following prosecution by Building and Energy.

The penalty is the largest fine against Western Power under laws that prohibit a network operator from supplying electricity to a premises without ensuring it is safe to do so. It follows seven prior convictions against Western Power for the same type of offence.

The court was told that in November 2022, two Western Power workers attended the Wundowie property where a private electrical contractor had installed a new consumer power pole. One Western Power worker noticed the newly installed meter had incorrect wiring, with the active and neutral conductors transposed, but did not take any action.

The court was told that shortly after the Western Power workers reconnected the electricity supply to the original property, two residents of a nearby home received electric shocks in their shower. Fortunately, they were not seriously injured.

Evidence presented in court also showed Western Power failed to follow a procedure that requires the electrical contractor to complete a temporary disconnection tag or notice of completion, which declares the electrical work has been checked and tested for safety and compliance.

— Accurate at time of publication | March 2025