Underground Power

Western Power will be undertaking works to install ground mounted transformer units and switch gear (630 KVA 11 KV MPS TX) in the drainage sumps at Loftus and Napier Streets which are essential for the management of power distribution for the Hollywood West underground power project. The installations will occur in the following locations from Monday 15 January 2018:

The Town of Claremont has been successful in progressing a customer-funded underground power project for the remainder of Claremont on the same basis as the West Hollywood project in Nedlands. The Claremont project is bound to the north by Alfred Road, and to the east by Brockway. During the design of the project, the project partners did not recognise that there were 80 properties within the City of Nedlands that received their power from the aerial network in Claremont. The City also recognised that there were a further 13 properties who could receive underground power due to the relocation of the Mimosa Avenue transformer to College Green.

Council at it’s Ordinary Meeting of Tuesday 28 November resolved that:

“Council requests the Administration conduct a community consultation of the landowners within the Alfred Road Underground Power Project to ascertain the level of support to fund underground power to the 93 properties affected.”

The City is writing to all property owners within the project area to gauge their level of support for this proposal.

In accordance with the City practice, the affected property owners are being invited to complete the survey currently being posted. The results of the survey will be included in the decision-making process for Council.

Should the project progress, works are anticipated to be completed within the next 18 months.

The Town of Claremont has been successful in progressing a customer-funded underground power project for the remainder of Claremont, similar to the West Hollywood project in Nedlands. The Claremont project is bound to the east by a small triangle of residential properties in Nedlands known as the Claremont Triangle, which is currently serviced by aerial power supply.

Council at it’s Ordinary Meeting of Tuesday 28 November resolved that:

“the Administration conduct a community consultation of the landowners within the Claremont triangle to ascertain the level of support to fund the underground power to the precinct”

The City is writing to all property owners within the project area to guage their level of support for this proposal.

In accordance with City practice, the affected property owners are being invited to complete the survey currently being posted. The results of the survey will be included in the decision-making process for Council.

Should the project progress, works are anticipated to be completed within the next 18 months.

The overhead electricity lines in the HUPP are due to be replaced with a new underground network as part of this project. Before this work can be undertaken, Western Power needs to upgrade the high voltage network capacity in the area as part of a larger project at Nedlands zone substation.

The HUPP will be carried out in two stages, with the network capacity upgrade commencing in November with the underground power project beginning in March 2018.

Stage 1 network capacity upgrade will commence on Wednesday, 8 November 2017 and will take approximately six weeks to complete. The works include the installation of most of the high voltage underground cables, ground mounted switch gear, and transformer sites (some of these sites are still being finalised).

Western Power have appointed CAPE as the contractor to carry out Stage 1 of this work.

Stage 2 is scheduled to commence around March/April 2018. This stage will comprise of the installation of:

• the remaining transformers and switchgear;
• all new underground network cables;
• the installation of customer consumer’s mains from the property boundary to the meter board (where required);
• new street lights; and the removal of the overhead lines.

This work is expected to take approximately eight months to complete. Further advice from the City of Nedlands and Western Power will follow closer to the commencement date.

Please refer to the document library for a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) in relation to the works, a project map, and the Contractor (CAPE) Service Installation Advice.

Should you require any further information, please contact:

The City of Nedlands and Western Power are currently finalising the locations of ground mounted transformer and switchgear units essential for the management of power distribution in the new underground system.

The City and Western Power staff have reviewed all possible locations with respect to conflicts with existing underground services and compliance with the design requirements for the power distribution. This process has established the preferred locations for the equipment.

Wherever possible equipment will be in parks, public open spaces and side verges of properties, however in some locations the equipment will need to be in the front verge of private properties.

A detailed map of the preferred locations for the equipment and site photographs are available in the document library. The City has forwarded letters to property owners where a transformer and/or switchgear is situated.

A detailed map is also available for perusal by visiting the City’s Administration Centre.

Please contact the City using one of the tools provided if you have questions or would like to provide feedback.

The City of Nedlands has accepted Western Power’s proposal to connect underground power to about 600 properties in the West Hollywood area, following a unanimous council decision.

It follows a consultation period where 67.9 per cent of respondents supported the Nedlands (West Hollywood) Underground Power Project’s detailed design estimate.

Western Power have advised the City it had the option to own and operate the streetlight network within the project area and could also tender for the streetlight network separately. All new streetlight networks associated with underground power will be LED-based and there will be options for smart control.

Existing high-pressure sodium, metal halide and mercury vapour streetlights are not energy efficient and typically operate 12 hours a day at full intensity, which means their energy cost is high – and they only have a lifespan of about five years. Whereas, LED-based streetlights have a lifespan of up to 20 years, enabling lower energy and operational costs, which means they are a more economic, robust and environmentally appropriate method to light the City’s streets.

The City would provide a project coordinator to liaise between Western Power and the community to ensure the underground power project proceeded as smoothly as possible. It will also explore the potential for the electronic-metered supply of the streetlight network, either permanently or as a trial, with Energy Minister Ben Wyatt, Western Power and Synergy.

The Nedlands (West Hollywood) Underground Power Project is expected to begin in mid-2018, but the actual timing of the project’s stages was dependent on council and Western Power decisions and the availability of materials and contractors.

Thank you to the property owners who contributed to the survey for the installation of underground power in an area of Hollywood.

The responses are being assessed. Following this process, the results of the survey will be included in a report to the 25 July 2017 Council meeting.

Are you a property owner within the project area? If so, it is really important that you complete your survey. If you are having difficulties in completing the survey for any reason, please contact the City. We will support you to ensure your voice is heard.

A second community engagement process with individual property owners within the Hollywood area is progressing. This process has resulted in the Council receiving the detail design estimate (+ or - 10%).

The survey will be inviting property owners to provide a yes/no answer to either support or not support the project in accordance with the detailed design estimate.

The Council has accepted a model on a 50/50 share basis between the City and the project landowners which includes the recovery of the design cost and excludes the Western Power contribution.

Each property owner within the project area will receive a letter that provides the individual owner's contribution to the project including any discounts that may be applicable for existing underground services and pensioner status. Similar to the detail design estimate provided by Western Power, the contribution is within + or - 10% of the final contribution.

It is anticipated that Council will deliberate the outcomes of the survey at the July 2017 Ordinary Council meeting.

The Council at its meeting held on 26 April 2017 resolved to pursue the following in relation to the Hollywood Underground Power Project:

• The Energy Minister Ben Wyatt will be contacted with a written request seeking changes to State Underground Power Program selection criteria – and the availability of the City Nedlands project will be highlighted, should others be cancelled.
• A meeting with the Minister will also be sought to discuss establishing a “customer design and construct” status for the City’s underground power projects.
• There will also be further exploration of the opportunity to own and manage the street light network and prepare a business case for council to consider.
• Subject to receipt of the detailed design estimate – plus or minus 10 per cent – and council endorsement of the financial model, a second consultation process will take place. The engagement will be to seek a yes-no answer to support the project, based on the individual landowner’s contribution, as established from the design estimate.

A media release in relation to this decision can be found on the City's website