This week on Stateline: A special Stateline report on the Territory's power crisis. We talk to the man investigating what went wrong and see the lengths some Darwinites are going to to black-out proof their homes. Also this week, we get a rare glimpse of the Pygmy Crocodile.
10/10/2008
Power Crisis
The lights are still on in Darwin's northern suburbs but the substation feeding the area remains at risk of collapse. By monday, almost 50 back-up generators will be on the ground at schools, nursing homes and suburban shopping centres. But Power and Water says customers won't be out of the danger zone for weeks. Businesses and residents are furious. With just one of the spare parts for the damaged substation costing more than six million dollars, fixing Darwin's broken power supply isn't going to come cheap.
Interview Mervyn Davies, Power Inquiry Head
The Territory Government has ordered a fresh inqiury into the power crisis. One of Australia's leading power experts has been tasked with investigating what went wrong and how to stop it happening again. Mervyn Davies has spent the past three days inspecting the damage at the Casuarina Sub-station and interviewing power and water staff. He'll deliver his preliminary report to the government in three weeks.
Green Houses
Darwin's recent electricity woes have certainly been a wake-up call to a city with a serious power-habit. It's little wonder air-conditioning addicts found it so difficult to cope. Most of the developments springing up around Darwin simply aren't designed to stay cool without the help of a split system. But Kate Carter has found some Darwinites who are bucking the trend. They're using smart design and the sun to reduce their electricity consumption and end their reliance on air conditioning.
Pygmy Crocs
The mysterious Pygmy Crocodile has long been talked about by reptile experts. The miniature crocodiles are known to live in two Top End water systems - one in Arnhem Land and the other in the Pinkerton Ranges. But it's thought they may also inhabit remote pools right across the Kimberley. For the first time tests are underway to determine if these dwarf freshwater crocs are in fact a distinct species. Scientists are in a race against time with the Cane Toad now on the crocodile's doorstep. Danielle Parry reports from Bullo River Station in the Territory's north west.
Melinda James presents Stateline Northern Territory. Catch the program on ABC1 at 7:30pm on Friday.
Read about the Stateline team in About Us.
