THE community will be kept in the dark over a horrific incident in which a Mandurah student almost died and another was injured when they received electric shocks from a faulty streetlight.
On March 16, John Tonkin College students Tariq Rowles and Chevaunne Bussola, were walking to school when they received electric shocks from a damaged streetlight on Education Drive in Greenfields.
Chevaunne was taken to Peel Health Campus and was treated for minor injuries, but Tariq, who had to be revived at the scene, was left in a critical condition and was rushed to Princess Margaret Hospital.
EnergySafety, the State’s energy safety watchdog, admitted on Monday it would not release a report into the accident as it might “prejudice any potential subsequent action”.
A spokesperson also said the investigation had not been completed, even though the incident happened more than eight and half months ago.
This is despite Energy Minister Mike Nahan telling Parliament in April the victims and their families deserved to know what happened.
In September, a Western Power employee was stood down over the incident and placed in an education and training program before being sacked over a separate incident.
"No time frames are set for investigations—they take as long as it takes to get everything right," an EnergySafety spokesperson said.
"It can take an extended period of time to ensure the investigation is thorough."
Mandurah MP David Templeman called on the government to ensure a full report was prepared and released.
"This terrible incident occurred in March and we still have not had a final report from EnergySafety. Why has it taken so long?" Mr Templeman said.
Mr Templeman said he was concerned the community was still unaware of what protocols or processes had been put in place to ensure such an accident did not happen again.
"We owe it to the students and their families affected by this incident, the Mandurah community and the City of Mandurah to release a report," he said.
"I raised questions about this in Parliament on the 17th of March, it’s now November."
Mr Nahan in April acknowledged the pole had been previously damaged in a car accident, and had been de-energised by Western Power. However, he said at some point in the following weeks, it appeared to have been inadvertently reconnected.
"Western Power’s CEO, Paul Italiano, has expressed to me his deep regret and disappointment in Western Power’s contribution to the incident," Mr Nahan said.
"He has assured me that Western Power is speaking with the families in relation to the findings of [the] investigation."
A spokesperson for Western Power said there had been no delays in the provision of information for the investigation and they would continue to work with EnergySafety.
A City of Mandurah spokesperson said the City had provided all necessary evidence and information, and was eagerly awaiting the outcome of the investigation.
Commerce Minister Michael Mischin, who is responsible for EnergySafety, said the investigation into the incident was a "complex one" and "the time being taken to complete it is not remarkable".
"It is not possible to consider the appropriateness or otherwise of any public release until the investigation is complete," he said.