NZ electricity - Transpower Upgrade

The Transpower upgrade through the Waikato trundles on. Can't add much (i know sweet FA about how electricity moves down wires) except that hasn't 'there is no Plan B' plan already backfired for Air NZ?, why does Transpower paint the picture of 'it's this or old ladies dying during winter'.
I do have sympathy for those (very little) who are part of the 'consultation process' which basically boil down to 'we're doing this, what's the minimum we have to pay you to do it?'.