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 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 unnecessarily prune street trees and clear overhead wires
• improve street lighting which can deter crime and improve community safety

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.

Nominations for projects for Round Six were invited from local government authorities (LGAs) in April 2016. LGAs were asked to nominate projects using set selection criteria, with each nomination assessed against social, economic and technical criteria by the SUPP Steering Committee, who selected projects on behalf of Energy Policy WA (formerly known as the Public Utilities Office). 

Up to Round Five of the program, proposals were ranked based on their ability to improve network reliability. 

The Round Six project selection process used three selection criteria:

Western Power’s network priorities (50 per cent weighting) 

• Projects that assist in addressing risk to the electricity network by replacing ageing infrastructure and advancing scheduled maintenance
• Proposals were assessed using a Network Risk Management Tool developed by Western Power
• The proposals that offered the greatest benefits to the network received the highest network priority score

Local government funding contribution share (25 per cent weighting) 
Local governments nominated the percentage of project funding they would pay if the proposal was successful. The minimum threshold for local government funding contribution was 50 per cent. 

Project proposals that offered a greater contribution share received a higher funding contribution score. 

Demonstrated community support for projects (25 per cent weighting) 
A survey was sent to property owners located in the areas covered by the City’s proposals to determine the level of community support. The survey included an estimate of the funding contribution property owners would be asked to pay.

For a proposal to be considered for the Program, the survey must have shown at least 50 per cent of respondees supporting paying the estimated cost to underground power. Project proposals with higher percentages of community support received a higher community support score in the selection process. 

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 street appearance
The removal of poles and wires makes areas more desirable to live in. It also reduces the requirement for tree pruning and the unsightly foliage deformation that occurs to keep trees clear of overhead wires.

Improved property values
The removal of poles and power lines, plus the improvement to the streetscape, has been shown to increase property values. Please refer to the Economic Regulation Authority cost benefit study of the SUPP 2011.

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.

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.

A safer public environment
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.

Increase in tree canopy cover
Reduces urban temperatures and therefore energy costs.

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.

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.

Works have commenced in the Manning and Collier project areas with Genus (formerly Diamond Underground Services) contracted to carry out the works

Detailed designs for the South Perth and Hurlingham areas have been completed. Work in this area is scheduled for late 2021. 

The City will monitor future funding rounds of the SUPP with a view to nominate other areas within the City for the program including Kensington.

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 repair any damage caused by the works. 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.

Yes, but you will receive a discount on the connection fee component. Details of connection fee and network charges were provided to affected property owners with their rate notice.

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.

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.

The City's website will be updated at regular intervals throughout the underground power project. As more information becomes available, these Frequently Asked Questions will be updated and added to, and progress reports will also be available on the Underground Power page.

In addition to this, there will be regular features on the underground power project in Peninsula Magazine, the City's bimonthly newsletter that is distributed to all households in the City. Regular updates will also be included in the City's enewsletter.

At each phase of the project the contractors will issue advice via letters to householders.

Property owners in the Manning and Collier underground power project areas will have received details of their service charge as part of the 2021 rate notice which was sent at the end of July 2021.

The service charge will be levied in five equal annual instalments and will be automatically included in your rate notice each year.

Manning and Collier property owners

The brochure sent with the 2021 rate notice details the cost for underground power for property owners in the Manning and Collier areas.

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 three tiers 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.

Instalments

The service charge will be levied in five equal annual instalments and will be automatically included in your rate notice each year.

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

South Perth and Hurlingham property owners will be notified when the project will commence in their area and when they can expect to receive their service charge.

Landgate Valuation Services determines the Gross Rental Value (GRV) of a property. GRV is based on the Landgate Valuation Services' estimate of the total rent (full year) that may be received from a given property. 

The GRV of your property can be found on your 2020 rate notice.

For more information, visit the Landgate website.

Underground Power charges will be levied in five equal annual instalments and will be automatically included in your rate notice each year.

To ensure that the many ratepayers who pay their accounts to the City by the due dates are not disadvantaged, the City of South Perth has resolved that it will charge interest on rates and underground power balances which remain unpaid after the due date.

The City of South Perth current interest amount is set at 7% per annum (0.01918% per day) calculated daily on amounts overdue.

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 if applicable.

SUPP 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.