"... and potentially Tasmania would have been without power too."
Have they fixed the interconnector from Victoria to Tasmania, yet?
Once upon a time, S.A had three State owned utilities: ETSA was the 'Electricity Trust of SA'. E&WS was the 'Engineering and Water Supply'. SAGASCO was the 'SA Gas Company'. They reliably supplied electricity, water, sewerage and gas. And then at an affordable price for all residents.
Then along came quite a few spivs who sucked the State government in that privatisation of their utilities was the way to go. The then national electricity marketer NEMCO etc..
P.S. Those that designed those rather solid Stobie poles sure didn't design the transmission towers that fell over..