Whakamaru is getting a utilities upgrade. Electricity is an essential part of everyday life and connecting you to it is our job. To ensure everyone in Whakamaru Village has a safe and reliable supply, we’re upgrading the electrical infrastructure. Work is underway and, weather permitting, on track to be completed by Christmas 2024.
The electrical infrastructure supporting Whakamaru was not intended to last forever nor cater for the increasing demand of modern households. To future-proof the supply of power to residents for years to come, electrical assets in the Village need to be brought up to modern standard – this will require the replacement of transformers, pillar boxes and cabling. Our project will also address alternative supply constraints, meaning in the event of an unplanned outage, the time to restore power may be reduced.
The electrical infrastructure feeding Whakamaru Village is 70 years old. It was never intended to last forever nor cater for increasing demand of modern households. This upgrade project will ensure electricity to the Village is safeguarded for future generations.
An electrical pillar box will be installed on the section boundary to connect to the new modern street cable.
The existing electricity supply was installed in the 1950s and was designed for a temporary settlement. We need to bring it up to modern specifications. The primary issue is that all households are on a single supply, so any faults or maintenance on the system affects all households.
Once the project is complete, any future power faults will affect fewer households, even just a single household, as opposed to all the properties connected to the transformer losing power!
This upgrade will provide circuit protection to modern standards that will improve reliability of supply and resilience. The upgrade also means the residents of Whakamaru Village can enjoy the same power supply standards that is delivered in townships throughout New Zealand.
The Lines Company has been working in collaboration with Taupō District Council (TDC) as they need to upgrade the water reticulation to the Village. The reason TLC and TDC are collaborating is that we both need to dig a trench to lay power cables (in our case) and water pipes (in TDC’s case). Trenching once minimises disruption to residents and shares trenching costs between both organisations.
The capital cost of the power upgrade sits with TLC. There is no capital cost for households. TLC also guarantees the property cables for three years from project completion and will pay for any maintenance that is required.
Yes, we need to access your property to lay the new cables and connect the system up to the meter box. We will minimise disruption as much as possible and any groundwork reinstated.
Property owners have always been responsible for the cables on their own property, however because of where the demarcation point was under the aged system (ie, at the meter box on your property) it has meant that you were unable to take care of the cables. Once TLC has installed the pillar boxes on the street, you will be able to take care of your own assets. This is normal practice and consistent with properties across the country.
Yes. All works and excavations associated with the power portion of this total project will be reinstated back to ‘as existing’ at TLC’s cost. However, most of the work will be done using directional drilling to avoid unnecessary disruption. There might be some minor disturbance, but don’t worry—they won’t be anything major. We won’t be able to offer compensation for these small disruptions. Remember the big bonus at the end of the works is improved electricity reliability!
The total project (including TDC’s portion) will be carried out over three months. TDC will begin work in September and TLC will be installing pillar boxes and electrical cables during October and November. All things going to plan we intend to complete the project by the end of November. If there are delays, we are confident all work will be completed by Christmas.
Disruption to install the power component of the total job will include digging across driveways, installing service mains to your house and installing pillar boxes. Works will occur during the day. Disruption will be kept to a minimum time. All disruptions will be communicated by your power retailer.
The water reticulation upgrades will include some planned water shutdowns to connect the new pipework. TDC will provide you with a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to any watermain shutdown.
A pillar box will be installed on the street close to the front fence of a property. Each pillar box will supply power to two houses.
No, however the current electrical system is being replaced because it is end-of-life. The new modern system will provide improved surety of supply and fewer outages.
The existing 60-year-old cable on your property will be connected to the new street cable. This will continue to work but will be less reliable. It is important to note that when TLC is ready to connect this old to the pillar box, we must test the cable under current standards. Cables that fail this test cannot be connected to the system, so we would need to bring your cable up to modern standards anyway.