Three underground power projects for the City of South Perth

Following an announcement by the State Government in January 2017, three nominated areas within the City of South Perth will have their overhead powerlines placed underground.

Round Six of the State Underground Power Program (SUPP) provides underground power to approximately 2,900 properties within the City. 

The successful project areas that the City has secured funding for are;

• Collier – all of the area bounded by Canning Highway, Ryrie Avenue, Blamey Place and South Terrace
• Manning – all of the area bounded by Manning Road, Kwinana Freeway, Hope Avenue and Challenger Avenue
• South Perth – all of the area bounded by Douglas Avenue, Canning Highway, Hovia Terrace and Mill Point Road.

(In some instances the defined project areas do not include the boundary streets.) 

"The City welcomes the State Government’s announcement. The benefits underground power brings to the community are numerous,” City of South Perth Mayor Sue Doherty said.

“Placing overhead powerlines underground improves safety, service and streetscapes. It reduces street tree pruning requirements, allowing trees to grow to natural height. Tree lined streets add significant value to properties and additionally, shady streetscapes encourage healthier lifestyles by promoting walking and cooling streets by up to 10 degrees.

“The selection process considered the potential for projects to improve network security, the level of funding contributions offered by local governments and the level of community support for underground power.”

Member for South Perth John McGrath MLA said, “As a strong advocate of underground power, primarily because of the benefits it brings to the community in terms of greater safety, reliability of service and improved streetscapes, I am very pleased for those residents who will have access to this service.

“However, there is still a lot more to be done and I won’t be satisfied until the whole of the electorate of South Perth has been rid of unsightly overhead power lines.”

The SUPP is a State Government initiative administered by the Public Utilities Office (PUO) in which local governments can nominate areas to be converted to underground power.

Each nomination is assessed by the SUPP Steering Committee against technical and economic criteria, as well as demonstrated community support to the funding of the works.

In December 2015, the PUO announced that submissions were invited from local governments interested in participating in Round Six of the SUPP. The funding arrangement required local governments to contribute a minimum of 50% of the project cost.

The City has nominated the local government contribution to Round Six as 80%. The independent survey undertaken in July/August last year by Savant Surveys nominated the average cost to the property owner (depending on the individual area) as being approximately $6,300. Strong support to the funding element of the independent survey is represented as the third part in the Steering Committee’s assessment.

Discounts will be available for pensioners and registered seniors and to owners of properties adjacent to transmission lines or where the full amenity benefit is not achieved because power infrastructure (excluding street lights) is still located on the verge.

It is anticipated the City will commence the first of the projects in the 2018/19 financial year. Each project area is expected to take around 9 months to complete, with the City proposing to undertake the works over 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21.

In January 2017, the State Government announced 17 projects in Perth suburbs will receive underground power under Round Six of the SUPP. The projects will provide underground power to about 18,000 properties across eight local government areas in the Perth metropolitan area.

The projects selected under Round Six are: