1. Question No. 1—Energy and ResourcesMARJA LUBECK (Labour) to the Minister of Energy and ResourcesORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Energy and Resources1. MARJA LUBECK (Labour) to the Minister of Energy and Resources: What reports has she seen on how New Zealand's electricity sector is responding to electricity outages caused by Cyclone Gabrielle?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Energy and Resources): Cyclone Gabrielle has wreaked havoc on the lives of New Zealanders and has had an unprecedented impact on New Zealand's electricity system the likes of which has not been seen since Cyclone Bola in 1988. Last Tuesday 225000 people in the North Island were without power. There were approximately 6118 households without power as of 9.30 a.m. today. This means over 218000 customers over 97 percent of those who lost power have had their electricity reconnected. This has been possible due to the impressive work of those tasked with re-establishing these essential lifelines. Crews from across New Zealand continue to work long hours to reconnect those households that remain without power.Marja Lubeck: Why are there still households without electricity?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: The number of outages across the North Island is steadily reducing. However I acknowledge how difficult this time is for those 6118 households without electricity. As the number of outages reduces those that remain are more challenging to resolve because they are either harder to get to or more complex to repair. For some a large portion of outages are spread across individual low-voltage faults which are more time-consuming to resolve. Distribution companies are focused on restoring power to remote areas due to welfare issues and dairy farm animal health and hardship. Roading and access slips silt and standing floodwaters have been significant challenges for some regions and are preventing further progress until these issues have been resolved.Marja Lubeck: What has Transpower done to reconnect electricity in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Transpower has been working around the clock with the local networks on restoration plans including quickly deploying a bypass to the damaged Redclyffe substation which would enable electricity to be restored to almost all households in urban Hawke's Bay. Transpower has already done substantial repairs. A crew and digger were helicoptered in to steady a tower servicing the line into the Hawke's Bay where a slip had pulled away the tower's foundation. Transpower has also had separate crews working at Whirinaki since the middle of last week. I am advised that part of Transpower's resilience approach is also ensuring that it can respond and recover as fast as possible with strategic spares and contingency plans for a range of major events. It is Transpower's existing Hawke's Bay 110 kilovolt contingency plan that was activated on Tuesday 14 February.Marja Lubeck: How has the sector responded to Cyclone Gabrielle?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I am proud of the collaboration and coming together in our electricity sector. The industry is pulling together really strongly. Resources from the South Island distribution companies such as lines crews and controllers have been brought to the North Island to assist existing North Island resources. Crews from across the North Island have travelled to Northland Auckland and the Hawke's Bay and Te Tai Rāwhiti to help with critical repairs. A crew from Australia are on their way to assist and my officials are acting swiftly to ensure overseas specialists can join in the relief effort immediately. I'd really like to thank all the companies and individuals that have been doing this work.