Fisher gave the example of restaurants which lost large bookings for weddings in the days after the power cut because the parties needed certainty the power would be on.
“The communications coming out of Transpower in the days after the power cut wasn’t really clear enough to restore confidence in people,” he said.
“Events like this keep sending the message that Northland is an unreliable place and that erodes confidence.”
Fisher continues to talk with Transpower, both about compensation and about helping to restore confidence in the region.
NorthChamber had sought legal advice about the next steps, and relayed this to members in an online meeting on Thursday night, he said.
The organisation represents 100,000 Northland employees in its new joint venture Business Tai Tokerau.
NorthChamber president Tim Robinson previously said if Transpower did not plan to negotiate compensation, businesses would have to consider a class action lawsuit.
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has ordered the Electricity Authority to review the power cut, saying it was unacceptable and “should not happen”.
The authority has been given three months to investigate what happened and determine how it can be prevented from happening again
Fisher is also looking forward to meeting with Act leader David Seymour next week to discuss how to restore business confidence in Northland.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
