Pole responsibility is a vexed question
Questions are swirling over who will be responsible for policing changes flagged by the State Government that could force landholders to maintain privately owned power poles.
Energy Minister Mike Nahan this week rejected suggestions Western Power should take over the management of private powerlines amid calls from residents affected by the Hills blaze.
Instead, Dr Nahan said the Government would increase its efforts to make property owners aware of their responsibilities and consider "forcing" them to maintain lines.
More than 50 homes were destroyed in Parkerville and Stoneville on Sunday when a privately owned wooden power pole fell and sparked a bushfire.
Though the Government has not provided details on how such a policy might work - except to say it would prefer fines than prosecutions for non-compliance - doubts have emerged about who would enforce it.
Electricity watchdog EnergySafety is understood to lack the resources to do it and Dr Nahan said Western Power and regional provider Horizon Power had "enough on their plates".
Dr Nahan said estimates were fuzzy but there could be up to 200,000 privately owned power poles in Perth and the South West, many of which were unsafe.
Yesterday's confusion came as the Opposition said inspection responsibilities for private power poles should be transferred from landholders to EnergySafety.
Acting shadow energy minister Kate Doust said many property owners did not have the expertise to properly inspect poles and wires and it was unreasonable to expect them to do so.
Ms Doust said so long as EnergySafety was given enough inspectors and land owners were billed for any work, the regulator would be better placed for the task.
However, she said the Government could help solve problems associated with overhead power lines and poles by encouraging people to put cables underground.
EnergySafety and Western Power declined to comment, saying policy discussions were a matter for the Government.
