Over the moon at underground plan

Preliminary works for the long awaited $1.5 million State Underground Power Program (SUPP), being undertaken by Western Power and the Shire of Kalamunda to improve residential amenity and security of power supply, kicks off on October 13.

Works are scheduled to be completed in February next year and will include the removal of overhead powerlines on Stirk, Haynes, and Barber streets and Canning Road, taking them underground.

Ms Babbage said she understood a lot of business owners were in favour of the project.

‘I am not aware of any business owners having concerns with loss of business while the project is on; the Shire is doing its best to have it run as smoothly as possible,’ she said.

Haynes Street salon owner Julie Jeffrey said she would rather a few months of inconvenience than have to look at powerlines any longer.

‘We do have power outages when it is hot and humid and then rains,’ she said. ‘The powerlines are so ugly, we need to get them cleared up; this has been talked about for 10 years.’

She said a similar project happened near her Mt Lawley salon, but the minor inconveniences were worth it.

‘I would prefer that they start in January, but this needs to be done, it has been put on the backburner for too long.’

She said she looked forward to seeing Kalamunda ‘cleared up’ and ‘modernised’.

Best Drop Tavern manager Liz Taylor felt she was ‘left in the dark’ on many details of the project.

‘I don’t think I have been well informed; if we have power outages, we can not run the restaurant,’ she said. ‘It is an OHS issue, we can’t cook in the dark.

‘I would like to know how we would be affected if the power goes out.’

Ms Taylor said the power had been out half a dozen times in the last 18 months.

‘I worked here 20 years ago for four years and the power went out twice. Since I have been back, it is far more frequent,’ she said.

Shire of Kalamunda chief executive Rhonda Hardy said a letter announcing the commencement of the program was sent to about 600 residents and business owners.

‘Throughout the project there will be minimal interruptions to power supply, with the most noticeable outage occurring at the changeover to the new underground network towards the end of the project,’ she said. ‘The main issue will be the location of the drilling trucks, which may take up some parking bays for the period of the underground drilling.

‘Also, the removal of the lines and power poles once the changeover has occurred will involve some road closure.’

For details, call Tony, Steve or Axel at Western Power on 9219 2004 or email supp@western power.com.au.