Underground Power

Residents have been asking when will the City be placing underground power in the remainder of the City.

The City is planning to complete the balance of the undergrounding of the remaining aerial power systems as part of the ten year financial plan. Consequently, it is anticipated that the works will be completed during the next decade, however the exact timing for each area has yet to be determined.

The underground power project is progressing to schedule. A summary of the current status follows:

• Completion of Loftus Street cable jointing – testing in preparation of commissioning for house changeovers.
• Napier Street completion of drilling both sides of the road.
• Transformer installation on Government Road complete.

The Town of Cambridge underground power project has commenced following the completion of the detailed design by Western Power.

A copy of the Town of Cambridge advertisement recently published in the POST newspaper can be found in this newsfeed. It provides advice on the timing of the project.

The Town of Claremont and Western Power project involving properties within the Alfred Road and Claremont Triangle is commencing from June 2018.

To find our more, please read the Town of Claremont underground power project newsletter in the document library.

The interest rate is likely to be 4% interest. However, this percentage will be confirmed when the City finalises the borrowings. The percentage charged will relate to interest rates applied to borrowings at the time by the WA Treasury Corporation. The City will ensure the lowest rate available is achieved.

The administration costs are included in the price estimate.

The ten annual instalments will be of equal value.

Thank you to everyone who have been contacting us in relation to the underground power payments. We are currently working through them and will be providing a response shortly.

We apologise for any inconvenience being caused.

The City is intending to close the cul-de-sac end of Government Road for a period of ten months, commencing on Tuesday, 1 May 2018 through to 28 February 2019. The purpose of the closure is to allow Western Power to use this section as a temporary storage area for the lay-down of materials and site facilities for the Nedlands West Hollywood underground power project (refer document library - plan of proposal).

This temporary closure is being undertaken in accordance with the Local Government Act 1995, Subdivision 5, “Certain provisions about thoroughfares” Clause 3.50, “Closing certain thoroughfares to vehicles”.

If you wish to lodge a submission in relation to the road closure, please address them to Chief Executive Officer, City of Nedlands, 71 Stirling Highway, Nedlands WA 6009 or forward an email to council@nedlands.wa.gov.au. All submissions will be taken into consideration, and are to be submitted no later than Friday 27 April 2018.

Should you require any further information, please contact Maria Hulls, Manager Engineering Services on 08 9273 3500.

Work on the implementation stage of the Nedlands (West Hollywood) Underground Power Project will begin on 30 April.

The City, together with Western Power, has already completed an upgrade to the capacity of the high voltage network in preparation for the latest work.

Taking about 10 months to complete, the latest stage includes the installation of:

• Remaining transformers and switchgear.
• New underground network cables along road reserves.
• Customer mains from the property boundary to the meter board, where required.
• New LED street lighting using the latest technology.

The removal of overheard powerlines will then follow.

Cable Layers Australia have been contracted to do the work and will keep residents updated during the project.

The City has a commitment to carrying out the work with as little impact as possible.

The co-operation from everyone to ensure the project proceeds smoothly will be appreciated. Both the City and Western Power will be keeping you up-to-date as the project progresses.

During the works each property will receive a series of advices with information about the work, as well as the contractor’s phone number so enquiries can be dealt with quickly.

This underground power project will greatly improve the overall amenity of the area and bring significant benefits in terms of safety, security and continuity of supply.

To find out more, check out the newsletter in the document library and read the FAQs.

The next stage of the underground power project is progressing by Western Power who are currently completing the tendering process for the project. The second stage will take approximately nine months to compete and include the installation of the remaining transformers and switchgear, new underground network cables, customer mains from the property boundary and new LED street lighting.

The next stage will also include advice on the final individual contribution for each property and payment options (single or 10 year loan).

The City is currently developing a newsletter for all property owners within the project area which will be distributed once Western Power has confirmed the successful tenderer and the work flow for the installation across the project area. Property owners will also be receiving a series of advices from Western Power or their contractors throughout the project as various stages of the work begins. The City will also be issuing further newsletters and updates via Your Voice Nedlands at key stages throughout the project.