Update archive

Update - November 2010

Thank you to the community members who attended our third community contact session on 9 November 2010.

The meeting minutes are now available in the document section below. We have also included a recent letter sent to session attendees, which outlines next steps.

Should you have any queries or comments in the meantime, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Documents/resources

Background

There are many interconnecting pieces of infrastructure that make up our electricity network - taking the power from generators, such as coal or gas fired power stations and wind farms, and delivering it through to your homes and businesses. Three of the most common types of infrastructure that we use to deliver power to your community are; transmission lines, substations and distribution lines.

Energy created by power generators is delivered to your community via high voltage transmission lines. Your local community substation then converts the power to a lower voltage, making it compatible to travel directly to your homes and businesses via low voltage distribution lines.

Given the forecast substation capacity in this area, it is envisaged that a new substation may be required around 2030+.

In order to plan well in advance for this potential future need, Western Power purchased a property on the corner of Rowley Road and De Haer Road in Wandi. The purpose of this purchase was to strategically acquire land in the area, for potential future use as a 132 kV substation site in 2030 (current forecasts indicate), or beyond.

As with many organisations – Western Power aims to buy sites strategically so that we are well placed to plan for potential future needs.

And similarly to other planning scenarios– the closer you get to the time something is required, the more certainty you have. As such, there is a likelihood that things may change in the future (i.e. requirement for a substation, the ideal location for a substation etc)

Western Power will keep the community updated if any new information becomes available which may impact on the requirement or timing for a reinforcement in the area.

Map of purchased property

If required, the substation would provide power to Banjup, Wandi and the surrounding areas. It would also free up the substations which currently service these areas, to provide for the increasing energy requirements in the areas close to them.

Site selection

Western Power undertakes strategic land purchases to ensure that we are making allowances for potential future network reinforcement, and buying into areas where these reinforcements may be required, well in advance.

The current site offers a suitable strategic purchase for a number of reasons:

  • Proximity to the existing transmission line, minimising the need for additional cut-in transmission lines, which result in greater community impact and additional cost.
  • Geographically appropriate - well spaced from other substations which serve the area at present, which means there would be an appropriate area distance wise-for a potential future substation to service.
  • Availability of land in appropriate location
  • Corner block - this is a preference for Western Power as it allows good access for underground distribution lines (which feed power to homes in the area the substation services) to exit the substation in multiple directions.
  • Separation from the Dampier to Bunbury gas pipeline - avoids potentially costly mitigation measures.
  • Existing natural vegetation buffer around the substation
  • Separation from homes
  • Close enough to cater for load in the area required, plus offload other substations which will reach their capacity in the future.
  • Allows for Western Power to make a strategic purchase into an area. If Western Power do not need to use the site for a substation in the future, it won't be used.

Please refer to the meeting minutes from the community sessions for information about sites which were considered both prior to and post the purchase of the current site, and for information about what we consider when identifying potential substation sites.

What is a zone substation?

Zone substations receive high voltage electricity from transmission lines, and convert this electricity to lower voltage for delivery to homes and businesses within a local community. There are over 120 zone substations in the metro area that distribute power to surrounding communities. Some examples are Bibra Lake, Southern River, Cottesloe, Rivervale and Wanneroo.

It is important that zone substations are located close to the people and communities they serve.

Timeline*

As part of our regular review of load projections and forecast planning for our network, the South West Interconnected System, we are required to review all projects and to prioritise projects that will ensure the reliability and security of our network.

There have been changes to the forecast timeline for this project. Current forecasts indicate that a reinforcement, most likely in the form of a substation, will be required in 2030+. This information has come to light as a result of a review of forecasting data. This is an annual process that we go through. Western Power must respond to the power needs of growing and changing communities, and this uncertainty is normal in projects such as this.

As we get closer to the time a reinforcement is required, we know with more certainty what is needed to enable our network to cater for the community's power needs. As such, we will continually reassess the need for this site, and if we determine that it is not needed, we will not use it.

Works description Works timeline
Substation potentially required in the area 2030+

*subject to change

Please note that while forecasts currently indicate that a solution is required in the future (around 2030) to ensure adequate power can be supplied to the Banjup/Wandi and surrounding areas,  it is important to point out that forecasting so far into the future can sometimes result in unforeseen scheduling or load demand changes occurring due to events such as new technologies becoming available, increased demand side management practices being integrated into the community or even unexpected and rapid growth affecting the initial forecasting indicators.

Update - October/November 2010

Community Contact Session #3

In order to make ourselves available to discuss the Banjup/Wandi strategic land purchase (potential future zone substation site – current forecasting indicates that it would not be required until well beyond 2020) with interested community members, Western Power is hosting a third community session at Wandi Hall in November 2010 – details below.

The purpose of the session is to:

  • Feedback on actions from the previous session
  • Provide additional load forecasting information, as requested
  • Provide feedback on alternative sites suggested
  • Make ourselves available to answer queries and take comments

Session Details:
Date: Tuesday 9 November 2010
Time: 6pm – 8pm
Location: Wandi Hall, De Haer Road, Wandi

Please ensure that you RSVP for the session to Lisa on lisa.hamblin@westernpower.com.au or (08) 9326 6387 so that suitable meeting arrangements can be made.

Update - August 2010

The community session FAQ's (PDF 96kb) are now available. They were recorded and compiled as a result of the last community session. We apologise for the delay in making these available, there was a large amount of information to compile from a number of different people. If you have any further questions, or require clarification, please feel free to contact us.

We are now planning on holding our third community contact session in October 2010 - details to follow. 

Update - May 2010

We would like to apologise for the delay in making the FAQ feedback from our recent community session available online. Some of the information we are compiling is taking longer than anticipated. We expect to make it available online within the next 2 weeks. Some information, such as load forecasting details, will take a while longer, and we expect to make that available in August, with a community session to follow soon after.

Feel free to contact us with any queries or comments in the meantime.

Update - March 2010

We would like to thank the participants at our second community meeting, which took place on Tuesday 23 March 2010 at Wandi Hall. The session was attended by 16 community members, and 7 our representatives.

We aim to be back in touch with the community as soon as possible with the information requested, but are keen to be as thorough as possible. Next steps include:

  • FAQ’s and meeting summary available online – Mid-April. We apologise for the delay in providing this, but want to ensure that the information we provide is as thorough as possible. If you require a hard copy, request one by emailing mark.stevens@westernpower.com.au or calling (08) 9326 4144.
  • Network need investigation and information compilation – Available online by around early May, for discussion at a third meeting tentatively scheduled for June 2010.
  • Investigation of alternative sites suggested – Feedback to the community at a third meeting, to take place around June 2010.

We are mindful that the community is keen for us to look into these sites to ensure the best land purchase has been made, and we will undertake this work prior to the next meeting. It should be noted that it is still our intention to retain the current site, unless we find an alternative site which provides a better overall solution, meeting our requirements.

A request was made for a copy of the Wetland Assessment Survey of the Gaebler Road site which was previously considered by us in the site selection process.

Review a copy of the slides from the community session (PDF 4.29mb - large file).

Feel free to contact Project Officer Mark Stevens for further information or suggestions on (08)9326 4144 or email mark.stevens@westernpower.com.au

Update - February 2010

Have your say - Meet with us about this project

Meeting our commitment to make ourselves available to the community again in early 2010, we will be hosting a Community Contact Session on Tuesday 23 March 2010.

The session will include:

  • Presentations to provide more information about our forecasting and planning for this project, as requested at the previous session
  • An outline of the decision making process (why was this particular site selected)
  • A project update 
  • An opportunity for the community to comment and ask questions

If there is any information you would like to request for the session, we encourage you to contact us so that we are able to provide you with the information you are seeking on the day.

The details of this session are as follows:

  • Date: Tuesday 23 March 2010
  • Time: Presentations and Q&A session – 6 pm (presentation to start promptly at 6pm)
  • Our staff available to take queries – until 8pm
  • Location: Wandi Community Hall, De Haer Road, Wandi

Invitations will be sent to the surrounding community in the coming weeks, and an advertisement will be placed in the Wandi Warbler.

To view PDF files you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.