Decision on Phase One of Powering Perth's Communities
Release Date: 28 January 2009
Following engagement with the community Western Power has reached an outcome for Phase I of the Powering Perth Communities project.
Customer Services General Manager, Mark de Laeter, said Option 1, which involves installing a gantry and extra single pole at the intersection of Mundaring Weir and Bahen Roads in Hacketts Gully, will be used to link a new major power line to the existing grid.
Six options were identified by Western Power and considered by a community based focus group to deliver power into the metropolitan grid from the sources of generation in the south west.
The focus group, while not endorsing any of the options, confirmed that it preferred two possible options for connecting the lines. These were Option 6A and Option 1, with preference for Option 6A. The two options are the same except that an existing tower would be replaced with a similar height pole in Option 6A.
“Western Power appreciated the involvement of community members in the review of ways to link the new and existing lines.
“Although the focus group recommended Option 6A over Option 1 the final decision came down to the fact that Option 6A had a greater impact on safety, cost, risk to power supplies, risk of traffic interruption during work and land clearing.
“Western Power’s project steering committee reviewed the two recommended options and determined that Option 1 has the least overall impact from a number of perspectives.
“I understand the focus group would have preferred the replacement of an existing operating tower with a similar height pole. However as the tower is not in direct view from homes in nearby streets and is not on private property it was difficult to justify spending nearly $1 million and clearing additional forest to fulfil this request.
“Many thousands of people in the grid live alongside or view such towers every day. It was difficult to justify the removal of a tower that had many years of life left in it to meet the request of a small proportion of the community,” he said.
Mr de Laeter said the $1 million cost difference between the two options was only one of a number of factors which informed the decision.
“Option 1 involves the least amount of clearing of vegetation at the point of connection and carries the least risk to interrupting power supplies to customers across the metropolitan area during the time of connection.
“Option 1 can be completed over a 30 day period instead of over 70 days for Option 6A.
“The shorter work time considerably lowers the safety risk for lines-people who will be carrying out the work near energised ‘live’ lines to avoid power interruptions to the metropolitan area while work proceeds.
“Some outages will be required to connect the new line to the grid. These outages will put the transmission system at risk. The shorter work time offered by Option 1 reduces that risk,” Mr de Laeter said.
Western Power will now commence work on Phase II of the Powering Perth Communities project to examine ways to connect the new line into a new or existing switchyard when required in the future.
If you would like to be involved in Phase II of the project, more information can be found on westernpower.com.au/ppc or by calling to register on 9326 4007.
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