Subiaco achieves underground power dream
Energy Minister Mike Nahan has congratulated the City of Subiaco for completing a three-decade long dream to underground the municipality’s entire street level power network.
Western Power today removed the last power pole in the City of Subiaco after completing the municipality’s final underground power project in Shenton Park.
“Undergrounding their overhead electricity network has been a more than 30-year dream for the City of Subiaco – and that dream has finally turned into reality with Western Power today removing the last street power pole,” Dr Nahan said.
The Minister said that since 1982 about 10,000 properties in the area had been converted from aboveground to underground power.
Two projects were part of the State Underground Power Project (SUPP), which is administered by the Public Utilities Office and is jointly funded by the State Government, local governments and Western Power, while the City of Subiaco funded the remaining works.
Dr Nahan said the final project in Shenton Park – funded entirely by the City of Subiaco – was completed by the experienced SUPP team.
“Underground power in the right location safeguards the electricity network for future generations, and improves the reliability and safety of supply which I am sure Subiaco residents will enjoy for many years to come,” he said.
“Such projects are true partnerships between the State Government, local governments and Western Power, with each party working together to benefit local communities.”
Fact File
- City of Subiaco largest local government to underground entire power network
- City of Subiaco began undergrounding their street level powerlines in 1982
- About 10,000 properties converted to underground power in the City of Subiaco
- Final Shenton Park project, which started in January last year, includes 185 new street lights, removal of 169 wooden poles and 569 new property connections
- Since 1996, SUPP has invested $375 million in 81 projects to bury the electricity connection for more than 82,000 households
- Western Power is a State Government-owned corporation that is committed to providing safe, reliable and affordable electricity to more than one million customers across a network area of 255,064sq.km
Source: News Release, Government of Western Australia, 04 March, 2015