Vector to put Auckland power lines underground

By CHRIS DANIELS consumer reporter

An ambitious programme to put Auckland's power lines underground has been launched by electricity lines company Vector.

Vector and its owner, the Auckland Energy Consumer Trust, said yesterday that $10 million had been budgeted for the project.

Vector is the power lines company for Auckland City, Manukau City and parts of Papakura.

Work on the scheme is likely to start this year. Communities will be consulted, and at this stage streets have not yet been selected.

Around 64 per cent of Vector's lines are underground, but older suburbs still have lines strung overhead on poles.

Power poles cover nearly 70 per cent of Auckland City compared with 26 per cent in Manukau and just 5 per cent of Papakura.

Power on many of the main roads, where there used to be a high rate of cars crashing into power poles, has long since been underground.

But the Mt Wellington highway, Dominion Rd, Shore Rd and parts of Great South Rd still have overhead lines.

Consumer trust chairwoman Pauline Winter said the underground power lines issue was important and "an appropriate policy for a community trust."

"Agreeing to this project means there is a commitment beyond the term of the current trust and gives Vector the certainty to plan a long-term project."

The $10 million price tag meant there was less money for a dividend to be paid to Vector customers, but there was a community good in putting lines underground.

Vector yesterday announced a $72 million after tax profit, with a $48 million dividend to be paid to the trust.

Vector chief executive Patrick Strange said the company would "work closely with each of the three councils and other utility companies to coordinate the underground project."

He said Vector would "be looking at ways to encourage early undergrounding in residential sidestreets, which would not normally have priority, through enhanced cost-sharing projects."

City councils have previously paid for new street lighting to be installed in streets where overhead lines have been removed.

Previous Vector estimates had a price-tag of $400 million for putting all power lines underground in a 10-year project.

Dr Strange said there were savings in operations as a result of putting lines underground.

There were fewer power cuts, but finding and fixing problems in underground lines was more difficult.

Since the mid-1960s, all new lines have been put underground.

The Auckland Electric Power Board paid for lines to go underground along many main roads in its area.

But this project was halted in the mid 1990s.