Underground power

A survey of property owners was conducted on behalf of Energy Policy WA (formerly known as the Public Utilities Office) in 2015. The survey provided the opportunity to vote yes or no and also gave an indicative cost to each property owner for their consideration plus other associated information. Survey results indicated majority support for underground power. 

38 per cent of property owners responded of which 51 per cent supported the role out of underground power.
 
The criteria for the percentage is set out by the State Government Department of Finance on page 11 of the Department of Finance State Underground Power Program Guidelines These guidelines state: “For a proposal to be considered for short-listing or reserve-listing, the community survey must show that at least 50 per cent of property owners who respond support paying the estimated cost to get undergrounding power.”

The South Lake East project is one of 16 projects that form round six of the State Underground Power Project (SUPP) that started in 2017. South Lake East is the final project to be completed under that program. 

Western Power renews the overhead network when assets are coming to the end of their service life.  Traditionally, the replacement would be a like-for-like replacement of these assets.  
 
However, when identified as beneficial to the community and cost effective to do so, Western Power will install its electrical infrastructure below ground.  The cost of installing electrical infrastrucuture below ground is more expensive than overhead infrastructure. Underground cable is more expensive than overhead line conductor and the installation cost is more expensive. 
 
State Underground Power Program projects are based on a user-pays principle, where those who benefit are required to pay a contribution. As the benefits are shared between property owners, Western Power, the State Government and local government, the cost of undergrounding power is shared between all parties. The benefits to property owners are through improved reliability, improved property values, improved street appearance and improved safety. 

No. It is not viable for an individual property owner to 'opt out' of the project as all overhead distribution power lines will be removed.  

Western Power will develop a design that considers technical, financial, environmental and social impacts including any obstructions and other underground infrastructure.   

This means that the location of the underground cable may be on same side of the road as the current powerlines but may not be if placing the cable on the other side delivers an outcome that, on balance, is better from a technical, financial, environmental and social perspective. 

There are transmission lines that cross Berrigan Drive, South Lake Drive and Elderberry Drive, and also run along part of Elderberry Drive. Transmission lines are used to carry bulk electricity at high voltages from power stations to major substations, where power is transformed for distribution at low voltage to customers. These range in size from the very large towers that run through South Lake to smaller poles or towers which do not have a cable running to individual properties.  Western Power does not underground transmission lines as part of underground projects because of the high cost.  

See the below map.

To be eligible for a rebate or deferment as detailed in the Rebates and Deferments Act 1992, an applicant must:

• Be the owner

• Reside at the property as of 1 July for the year ahead

• Be classified as a Pensioner or Senior (see requirements below).

Source: Rebates and Deferments Act 1992
 
To be classified as a Pensioner, you must meet one of the following:

• You receive the pension and are the holder of a Pensioner Concession Card or State Concession Card

​OR

• You hold a Seniors Card issued by the Office of Seniors Interests and a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.

The table below Shows how much residential ratepayers will pay: 

Contributions are as follows: 

• Western Power - 43 per cent 

• State Government – 23 per cent 

• Ratepayer – 27 per cent 

• City of Cockburn – 7 per cent 

The underground power charge is split into two separate charges 

• Infrastructure fee is the cost to remove power lines and poles, overhead transformers, install new on ground transformers, underground power lines, new streetlights and upgrade the power network into South Lake East.

• Consumer Mains Connection fee – is the connection between the street and the property including the meter box.  Where connections between the front of the property and the meter box are already wholly or partially underground, this charge will be discounted according to the type of existing connection 

To be eligible for a rebate or deferment as detailed in the Rebates and Deferments Act 1992, an applicant must:

• Be the owner

• Reside at the property as of 1 July for the year ahead

• Be classified as a Pensioner or Senior (see requirements below).

Source: Rebates and Deferments Act 1992
 
To be classified as a Pensioner, you must meet one of the following:

• You receive the pension and are the holder of a Pensioner Concession Card or State Concession Card

​OR

• You hold a Seniors Card issued by the Office of Seniors Interests and a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.

The table below Shows how much residential ratepayers will pay: 

Owners of vacant land will be charged for the cost of underground power, just as for rates and sewerage.  However, there will be a discount because there is no connection to the property no connection fee is charged. 

Yes, you can pay the full cost over ten years.

Yes, a four per cent discount will apply to any ratepayer, including businesses, seniors and eligible pensioners who pays the total amount within 35 days of receipt of their rate notice.  

Where a property already has underground power from the street to the property, the infrastructure fee will apply but the consumer mains connection fee will not apply. 

If you are having difficulty paying the required amount on your notice please contact the City early and we will work with you to arrange a payment plan that is suitable to both parties.

The City endeavours to avoid legal action wherever possible and will work with property owners if they are unable to pay. As with the refusal to pay your general rates, penalty interest accrues and the City will apply the debt against the property. Where charges remain outstanding for a period of time legal action may be taken to recover those funds from the property owner. The Local Government Act 1995 outlines the actions that the City is required to take in such matters.

If you are having difficulty paying the required amount on your notice please contact the City early and we will work with you to arrange a payment plan that is suitable to both parties.

The City endeavours to avoid legal action wherever possible and will work with property owners if they are unable to pay. As with the refusal to pay your general rates, penalty interest accrues and the City will apply the debt against the property. Where charges remain outstanding for a period of time legal action may be taken to recover those funds from the property owner. The Local Government Act 1995 outlines the actions that the City is required to take in such matters.

If you sell your property any unpaid charges for underground power must be paid by you at settlement. 

No, there has been no obligation until now to disclose this as there were no details available to disclose. However from now on the seller should disclose that underground power is coming – see page 12 of the Law Society / REIWA document that explains seller and buyer obligations with underground power.  

The Department of Housing and Works will pay. They will not be receiving a concession.

The project will be delivered in zones. Construction will be done in cell order. Construction of the first zone (cell 1) is expected to start in the second quarter of 2023 . It will take approximately one year to complete all zones in the area. Dates are subject to change 

During each stage of a project, Western Power’s contractor will advise occupants and owners of properties before starting any work and will keep you informed with regular updates on each stage of construction to minimise any impact.

Timing is as follows:  

Western Power will be installing the new underground cabling progressively through the street verges, and from the front of each property to the meter box (except where this cable already exists) using below ground boring methods. 

Once the new system is connected and energised, Western Power will change each property over from the overhead to the new underground system. The old overhead system is then removed. 
 
As a general overview undergrounding power involves the following. 

Outside your property 

• Installing new underground power cables, connecting to the grid, in the road reserve under verges between 750mm and 1000mm below the ground surface..  

• Installing ground mounted transformers and switchgear units, or primary equipment, to manage the distribution of power throughout the area. These are located in parks and public open spaces, or sometimes along property side verges. 

• Designing and installing new LED streetlight system that meets the latest Australian Standards 

• Removing existing wood poles and overhead powerlines (excluding transmission poles and wires) 

On your property 

• Installing connection pillars (green domes). These are the point of connection between your property and the main electrical network that runs along your street The location of the green dome is determined during the design process. Green domes are located in a front corner of the property, just inside the front boundary adjacent to a side boundary. Usually every second property has a green dome installed, with two adjoining properties being served by the one dome. 

• Installing the consumer main. This is the underground cable located at least 500mm below ground that connects your green dome and the main switchboard (meter box) on your property.  The location of your consumer main should be noted in your meter box by the electrical contractor performing the work.  The consumer main is your responsibility as the property owner and once installed the property owner maintains ownership. 

There will be a short period of outage when your property is converted from overhead to underground supply.  This is generally a few hours and you will be notified in advance of the power interruption.  The outage notification will be a window of two weeks, allowing the crews to optimise their scheduling and sequencing of works.  More specific timing for the outage cannot be provided, however, crews will make attempts to contact any occupants in the residence before commencing the outage. 

If a person who is registered as having a medical condition which necessitates constant power supply resides in your property, they will be given special consideration when the changeover is programmed. The resident or their carer will be contacted so that arrangements can be made to carry out the changeover without risk to the affected person’s health or welfare. Changing each property over to the new underground system once it’s complete and is live, and removing the old overhead conductors 

Most underground cables are installed using below-ground boring which reduces the amount of disruption on street verges and inside the front garden of properties. Open trenching may be required to suit local site conditions in some locations. 
 
All street verges are video-recorded before any work starts as a record but you may wish to take your own photos or video. If your verge is damaged, it will be reinstated by the contractor as close as practical to its original condition. 
 
Report any damage not remedied to the contractor as soon as possible.  At the start of the project you will have received information in your mailbox with the contractor’s contact details. 

• You may experience construction noise, dust, temporary traffic obstructions or power outages. The contractor will notify you before any work takes place that may directly impact you. Please contact the contractor as soon as possible if you have any concerns about the construction impacts. 

• The contractor will generally work within regular construction hours required for the area.  If after hours work is required for public safety reasons, we will work with local government and other relevant authorities to schedule the most appropriate time and inform you before these commencing 

• Noise, dust, vibrations may all be a part of construction, but Western Power’s contractor will undertake these in accordance with standards and with a detailed management plan 

• The contractor will minimise noise impacts by only using equipment that is well maintained and fit for purpose, as well as scheduling times to have the least impact on residents.  
• ​To complete the work safely, traffic management will be in place to manage traffic and pedestrian flow. Please take care around work sites and follow the appropriate signage. 

The old poles will be taken down after the project being completed 

Some properties have carryover (service) poles located inside their front boundary, which can be removed after an undergrounding project. The pole belongs to the property owner, so it’s up to you if you want to keep it or remove it. Please contact the contractor if you would like to retain the pole removed during construction. Alternatively, the pole will be disposed of. 

No, only the overhead wires will be removed after your property is connected to the underground supply. Because the brackets are old, we recommend you have them removed by a professional to ensure no damage is caused to your property. 

The life expectancy is 30 to 50 years under normal operating conditions. Normal operating conditions mean that the cable is not being overloaded with more current being pushed through it. 

It is unlikely that a new streetlight will be placed in the same position as a previous streetlight. With every project, a new LED street lighting system is designed and installed to the latest Australian Standards. Each project is different, and the positioning of new streetlights is reviewed during the design stage.  

You’ll find that around 10 per cent more lights are installed because they are positioned more closely and generally alternate from one side of the road to the other.  

• The new LED lights will provide a more uniform illumination of the area and will be brighter compared to the older traditional lights.  The light is designed to diffuse and distribute in a more precise manner reducing glare and lighting only targeted areas. 

• The enhanced brightness makes the streets safer. 

• Modern light poles are designed to collapse if hit by vehicles to reduce injuries and damage. 

• The energy and maintenance costs are lowered substantially by having a longer in-service life of up to 100,000 hours.  

Most streetlighting in the metropolitan area is owned, operated and maintained by Western Power. However, the City of Cockburn is  responsible for identifying locations, brightness and the number of streetlights as well as paying for the energy use.  

• Western Power website
• Telephone 13 10 87
• Email: [email protected] 

• Telephone 08 9411 3444
• Email: [email protected]