Omni Bridgeway backs New Zealand class action over Northland power outage

Omni Bridgeway has agreed to finance a new open class action in New Zealand targeting state-owned grid operator Transpower and maintenance contractor Omexom over a June 2024 transmission tower collapse that cut power to the Northland region for several days and triggered significant losses for local businesses. The proceeding, led by litigation firms LeeSalmonLong and Piper Alderman, alleges that human error during maintenance work caused the structure to fall, leaving parts of the region without electricity for two to three days and in some cases longer.

The claim is being advanced on an opt-out basis, allowing all affected Northland businesses to be included unless they actively remove themselves from the class. The suit pleads negligence against both defendants, asserting that Transpower, which operates New Zealand’s national electricity grid and oversees the maintenance of its transmission assets, failed in its supervisory duties related to the tower. As against Omexom, the long-standing Transpower contractor responsible for engineering, construction, and maintenance work on the line, the claim alleges negligent performance of the maintenance activities that immediately preceded the collapse.

The class action characterises the outage as a preventable event that caused measurable economic disruption across Northland, from lost trading hours to spoilage, supply chain delays, and forced closures.

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