Nine Western Australian (WA) local governments have committed to Western Power‘s Targeted Underground Power Program (TUPP), providing up to 50,000 properties with a future-focused, safer, and more dependable power delivery option.
Following the signing of memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Western Power to support undergrounding within their local government areas (LGAs), citizens and businesses in the cities of Bayswater, Canning, Melville, Rockingham, Stirling, Swan, and Vincent, as well as the towns of Bassendean and Victoria Park, will be counted among the 50,000.
Based on Western Power’s network-driven strategy, which targets the overhead distribution network with a greater density of assets that are due or are soon to be due for replacement, the regions highlighted in these LGAs.
The MOUs formalise Western Power’s, the LGAs’, and the WA Government‘s intentions regarding partnership and the development of co-funded projects.
“Undergrounding provides many benefits including improved public safety, reliability, security and street appearance while increasing property values and reducing the need for street tree pruning. It also provides cost efficiencies as there are lower life-cycle costs and enables greater use of emerging technologies such as electric vehicles,” Energy Minister Bill Johnston said.
Most importantly, Minister Johnston stated that it provides safer settings by utilising more efficient modern LED lamps.
“Western Power’s underground power programs are a significant enhancement to the electricity network and ensures our State Government continues to meet the energy needs of the community now and in the future,” Minister Johnston added.
Scoping and planning for several projects have commenced, with the first project in Bassendean North slated to begin construction in May 2024.
Since 1996, over 100,000 properties in the South West Interconnected System have been transformed from overhead distribution power cables to underground power.
