Underground Power

The City has a vision to have power lines placed underground throughout the entire City of South Perth area.

The objective is to: 

• improve reliability, efficiency and security of the electricity supply to the community
• enhance streetscapes and visual amenity with the removal of power poles and wires
• reduce the need to prune street trees and clear overhead wires
• improve street lighting which can deter crime and improve community safety

The City supports the installation of underground power believing the benefits gained by property owners and the community outweigh the costs involved. These benefits include:

Improved security and reliability of power supply
Moving to an underground electricity distribution system can improve the reliability and quality of power supplies. This includes reducing faults and outages caused by storms, trees, bird life, vandalism, equipment failure and motor vehicle collisions with poles.

Increase in tree canopy cover
The removal of poles and wires reduced the need for tree pruning to clear overhead powerlines, allowing street trees to flourish and allowing for reduced maintenance costs. In turn this improvement can reduce urban temperatures and therefore energy costs.

Improved street appearance
The removal of poles and power lines prevents personal safety hazards caused by fallen power lines, pruning near power lines and car accidents involving power poles.

A safer public environment
The removal of poles and wires makes areas more desirable to live in, with the potential for increased property values. It also reduces the requirement for tree pruning and the unsightly foliage deformation that occurs to keep trees clear of overhead wires.

Improved street lighting
Street lighting will be upgraded to energy efficient LED luminaries as part of the project. Better street lighting can help to deter crime and contribute to improvements in road safety.

A survey of property owners was conducted on behalf of Energy Policy WA (formerly known as the Public Utilities Office) in August 2016. The results of the survey indicated that a representative majority of property owners are in favour of the proposal to install underground power, and for property owners to contribute to the cost of the installation. 

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 determines the priority areas for underground power implementation as part of its network renewal program to improve the state's power networks. 

A survey of property owners was undertaken by Energy Policy WA (formerly known as the Public Utilities Office) in August 2016. 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 from the City of South Perth areas indicated solid support for underground power and the three Round Six projects were subsequently selected.

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 soon as possible.

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.

The contractor carrying out the project will reinstate the area after the works are completed. Please 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.

All street verges are video-recorded before any work commences as a record. If your verge is damaged, it will be reinstated as close as practical to its original condition.

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.

All properties are checked for the type of existing connection. Where underground connections between the front of the property and the meter box already exist, the Connection Fee will be discounted according to the type of connection.

The property owner will still be required to contribute to the network infrastructure cost referred to as the Network Charge.

Details of each charge are outlined in the service charge information provided to property owners with their rates notice. 

In most project areas all overhead wires and poles will be removed. This will be the very last part of the project. The old poles and wires will be taken away after all properties have been connected to the underground supply and all testing and commissioning has been carried out.

In some cases the overhead wires and poles will remain in place where they service another property or area not currently connected to underground power. 

Yes. There will be a short period of outage when your property is converted from overhead supply to underground supply. Generally four to five hours is allowed for the changeover, however the actual outage time is often much shorter. You will be notified in advance when the changeover outage is planned.

If a person resides in your property who is registered as having a medical condition which necessitates constant power supply, 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.

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 property service connection.

We will publish updates on the website at regular intervals throughout the underground power project. As more information becomes available, these Frequently Asked Questions will be updated and added to.

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Impacted residents will also receive a letter by post ahead of any relevant project phases.

Property owners in underground power project areas receive details of their service charge (the costs associated with the underground power project) as part of their rates notice prior to the project start. 

The service charge is spread out over multiple annual instalments and will be automatically included in the property owner's rates notice each applicable year.

Property owners in the Manning and Collier project areas received their service charge information in the 2021/22 Rates Notice. 

Property owners in the South Perth and Hurlingham project areas received their service charge information in the 2022/23 Rates Notice. 

Property owners in the Kensington project areas will receive their service charge information in the 2025/26 Rates Notice.

Property owners in underground power project areas receive details of their service charge (the costs associated with the underground power project) as part of their rates notice prior to the project start. 

Your Underground Power Service charge comprises a Connection Fee plus a Network Charge.

Connection Fee

Your Connection Fee is based on the status of the connection between your property boundary and the meter box as determined by Western Power.

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.

Network Charge

Your Network Charge is your proportion of the project cost for connection to your property boundary.

The network charge is based on a simple model with tiered charges based on the Gross Rental Value (GRV) of the property. You can find your GRV on last year's rate notice. For more information about how your GRV is calculated, visit the Landgate website.

Payment Instalments

The service charge is spread out over multiple annual instalments and will be automatically included in the property owner's rates notice each applicable year.

For privacy reasons we are unable to provide details of your underground power charge over the phone. 

The Underground Power Service Charge is one cost comprised of the Connection Fee plus a Network Charge. The service charge is spread out over multiple annual instalments and will be automatically included in the property owner's rates notice each applicable year. Details of the instalments for each underground power project are outlined in the service charge information provided in the rates notice prior to the project start. 

If you sell your property, as with outstanding rates any amount outstanding (including any unpaid instalments) for the underground power project charge would be payable on settlement when the property is sold.

The cost for each project area will vary depending on the unique site conditions, constraints of ground conditions, funding scheme and size of the project area.

Western Power determines the funding scheme that will be utilised for each project and conduct an open tender process for each project, selecting the contractor based on their selection model. These decisions define the costs for each project. The City has no involvement in or influence over these decisions.

The City then distributes the costs across the included properties according to the Network Charge and Connection Fee methods outlined in the above question and answer. 

The Program’s shared funding arrangements reflect the benefits gained by property owners, the State Government and Western Power. Property owners will benefit from enhanced streetscapes, more reliable power, brighter and safer streetlights and a safer public environment. An added benefit is an increase in property values.

Underground power service charges are payable on a per property basis. If you own more than one another property in the City of South Perth, you are required to pay for the underground power service charge at each property involved in an underground power project area. 

Underground power projects are based on a user-pays principle, where those who benefit are required to pay a contribution. The benefits of the program are received by property owner through improved reliability, efficiency of services and improved property values.