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Latest
news
New signs warn farm
workers of powerlines
Smart meter
tamperer
convicted
and fined
By Michelle Robertson, Senior Media
and Communications Advisor
By John Murphy, ESV Solicitor
ESV has prosecuted another Victorian
for interfering with a smart meter and
putting lives and property at risk.
Jason McAuley, also known as Frank
Jason McAuley, was prosecuted in the
Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 16 June
after interfering with an AMI meter
at Albanvale in October 2013.
Mr McAuley was charged with a
number of offences under the Electricity
Safety Act 1998 and the Electricity Safety
(Installations) Regulations 2009, including
carrying out electrical work when not
licensed and interfering with the meter in
a manner likely to cause risk to persons.
Mr McAuley did not appear in court
and Robert Squirrell, the barrister for ESV,
noted the defendant had filmed himself
removing the AMI meter and installing
his own meter. The magistrate convicted
McAuley, fined him $1500 and ordered he
pay $10,000 in costs.
In March ESV prosecuted a 35-yearold Edithvale man in the Melbourne
Magistrates’ Court for illegally
disconnecting the smart meter at his
home. He pleaded guilty to performing
unlicensed electrical work and was
convicted and fined $750 along with
$11,737 in costs.
ESV and WorkSafe have jointly produced
new safety signs to warn farm workers of
the location of overhead powerlines.
The free colorbond signs have been made
available to Victorian farms after the Coroner
called for increased safety measures to prevent
tip trucks from contacting powerlines.
The Coroner’s recommendations were
handed down in March following an inquest
into the deaths of three men who died when
their trucks came in contact with overhead
powerlines.
The three separate incidents occurred at
Gippsland, Nhill and Myrtleford during 2006.
All three men were truck drivers involved in
tipping loads of lime and fertiliser on farms.
Coroner Audrey Jamieson recommended
that ESV and WorkSafe produce new farm
signage and also continue to implement
campaigns to educate rural and farming
communities about the dangers of
overhead powerlines.
The new signs include a graphic illustration
designed to convey the warning to workers with
limited English.
The signs form part of a set of materials and
advertisements promoting ESV’s ongoing Look
up and live campaign. ESV has promoted the
new signs at a range of events including the AFL
Vic Look up and live country football round from
22–23 August and we’ll be at the Elmore Field
Days from 6–8 October.
Sign up to save lives: These free colorbond farm
signs warn farmers and rural workers of the
dangers of contacting overhead powerlines
with trucks and equipment.
Click here to contact ESV about
the new farm signs and other
Look up and live materials
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