Garden shop owner demands apology from Western Power over dead koi

The owner of a northern suburbs garden pot store says Saturday’s widespread power outages has lead to the deaths of his beloved koi fish.

Taking to social media, Madeley Pot Art Gallery’s Hiep Vo said as part of the loss of power, he had returned to his business on Sunday morning to find 25 dead fish.

It came as Western Power confirmed there were still more than 8000 customers without electricity more than 24 hours after the first wave of outages.

Friday’s summer cold front caused issues across the Perth metropolitan region, with pole top fires as a result of moisture on the lines knocking out power for as many as 38,000 homes at once.

Mr Vo said he wanted an apology from Western Power.

“The fish pond experience has been a highlight for families with kids, providing endless entertainment for all our beloved visitors,” he said.

“We’ve had the joy of watching hundreds of these children grow up, and it’s been incredible to see them form such strong connections with our very special fishes.

“Unfortunately, this morning at work, yesterday’s unexpected power outage from Western Power has left me with the difficult task of dealing with my dead fishes — none of them alive ! How should i explain what happened to our beloved fish to. . . our customers?“It’s not just about the financial loss or the time we spent with them and love we’ve invested; it’s about the memories and the journey we’ve shared with our visitors.”

Speaking to The West Australian he expected the cost to replace the fish would be around $40,000, but the cost did not matter given the impact the fish had on customers.

A Western Power spokeswoman said significant progress had been made on restoring power to homes, with Tthe majority of customers still without electricity in the areas of Balga, Dalwallinu and Ledge Point.

“We appreciate the inconvenience and frustration outages can cause, please be assured we are working as quickly as possible to safely restore power to customers,” she said.

“Since yesterday’s peak of 38,000 homes without power, outage numbers have dropped significantly. About 8,000 customers are currently without power, with close to 40 available crews pulled from all over the network working to isolate hazards, make them safe, and commence restoration work.

“The outages are a result of a mix of infrastructure damage largely caused by pole top fires, drop out fuse trips, and bushfire.

“Customers who have experienced an outage for longer than 12 consecutive hours can apply for an extended outage payment via Extended Outages Payment once power is reconnected.”