Electricity provider Powercor agrees to pay victims of one of the 2018 St Patrick's Day fires in south-west Victoria following the revelation of an explosive secret document.
Garvoc farmer and fire victim Jill Porter said the win would help with the district's recovery.
"It's a terrific outcome for the community that was impacted by that bushfire, in that it provides certainty and an opportunity now to move forward, to put the trauma and the suffering that that bushfire caused somewhat behind us," Ms Porter said.She said Powercor's secret report needed to be made public in the interest of public safety and as an important step in fixing Victoria's ageing power pole network.
Counsel representing Electrix Dr Michael Rush QC told the court the maintenance document was not as"explosive" as the prosecution had made out. "In relation to the 384 pole failures — which has been referred to in the document that was discovered on Friday — we are a bit concerned about this trial turning into a royal commission into pole failures around the state," Dr Rush said.
"Those pole failures have occurred over the last 10 years or so and it has been well known that there have been pole failures."
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