Accidents pushed automotive students out of class twice this week at Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE. Yesterday it was a gas leak, with emergency services called, and on Tuesday it was a huge bang and sparks when an underground power cable was cut, blacking out the campus. PHOTO: Cheryl Browne

GOTAFE forced to evacuate part of its campus

Written by TRISH GALLAGHER.

A GAS leak outside Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE (GOTAFE) yesterday caused classes to be cancelled and traffic blocked.

The problem followed an accident on Tuesday when contractors drilled into an underground electricity cable and knocked out power to the campus, disrupting classes for the rest of the day.

GOTAFE facilities manager, Neil Conrick, said a gas smell was noticed at 9am Thursday near the automotive building on Cusack Street.

Gas contractors were at the site when emergency services arrived around 11am.

Police blocked roads at the corner of Cusack and Norton, Cusack and Ovens, and Mackay and Ovens streets for the rest of the day.

CFA fire officer, Paul Scragg, said 10 firemen attended to isolate nearby ignition sources and ensure the area was safe.

They left after 3pm when contractors found the leak under the footpath on council land in Cusack Street.

No one has named the cause, but a tree root next to the gas pipe is visible in the hole workmen dug to find the leak.

Mr Conrick said WorkSafe was on site for the duration, gas was turned off in the automotive building and students in that section were sent home.

The first disruption for GOTAFE this week started at Tuesday lunchtime when drilling contractors hit an underground electricity cable on GOTAFE grounds outside the automotive building.

A student said this caused a high voltage fuse to blow in the transformer on Cusack Street, with a small explosion and fireworks as sparks showered the street.

Power was out until SP Ausnet fixed the problem at 11pm.

Mr Conrick said the contractors had been laying a wireless network under the road for GOTAFE as part of a statewide rollout under Skills Victoria.

"It knocked everything out so we couldn’t have classes," he said.

"The drillers hit the underground line which hadn’t been noticed, although they had called Dial before you Dig."

GOTAFE commercial and operations manager, Andrew Kay, said the accident certainly affected students.

"At the latest count, we had to cancel four night classes, affecting 68 students, and 55 students were sent home in the afternoon," he said.