SATURDAY’S predicted heatwave coincides with a planned power outage for White Gum Valley, and that has locals hot under the collar.

“The letter we received says it’s just network maintenance,” says fired up James Welsh. “You’d think if it’s something routine like that, they could do it on a week day.

“Doing this on a weekend is incomprehensible enough… but insisting on going ahead with it on a 37-degree day seems borderline negligent.”

Popular cafe cafelumos is having to close for what is usually the busiest day of its week.

Western Power field services coordinator Sean Ellis says the outage is part of a wider scheduling of jobs planned over two months.

“There are two main jobs that have been scheduled for this Saturday November 14, affecting White Gum Valley, and from an electrical perspective they have to be done together.”

One involves a sub-station that supplies upper Freo with power, including industrial and commercial areas.

“While we can re-route the electricity to keep 99 per cent of the businesses powered we need to do this on a Saturday when the demand for power is lower than mid-week, so the back-feeding is successful for customers and doesn’t damage the network.”

Twenty poles are being removed and four streets changed to underground power. Part of that work requires upgrading 10 homes that require the owners’ presence on-site.

“The work was planned to occur on a day that suited them,” Mr Ellis says.

by JESSICA COCKERILL