1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: Now we know that Nakara Wogerman and Lara k here 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 1: they are programmed to be the first of Darwin's northern 3 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: suburbs to have their high voltage overhead power lines undergrounded. Well, 4 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:13,080 Speaker 1: the first of the next round, I guess you'd say, 5 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 1: because we know that there has been quite a few already. 6 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: But the rollout is part of the government sixty million 7 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:22,479 Speaker 1: dollar investment over six years to be undergrounded well, to 8 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:26,120 Speaker 1: have our power lines undergrounded the whole network. Now joining 9 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: me on the line is Power and Water's senior network 10 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: of planning and Design, Belinda Small. 11 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Belinda. 12 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 3: Good morning Katie. 13 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: Great to have you on the show. Belinda took us 14 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: through how it happens. I know that there's quite a 15 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:45,199 Speaker 1: lot of sort of time consuming process and work that 16 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 1: gets underway before you even sort of start to try 17 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 1: and underground those power lines. 18 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's right, Katy. We've got all sorts of approval 19 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 3: processes before we even commence any design work. We've got 20 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 3: concept designs, which is looking at a very basic level 21 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 3: of design for the changes on the network. We've got 22 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:14,960 Speaker 3: costs to consider. The we review the autage frequency and 23 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:18,400 Speaker 3: duration for the customers in each of the suburbs, looking 24 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 3: at how many customers would benefit from a particular suburb 25 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 3: being one of the project being undertaken the particular suburbs, 26 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:31,839 Speaker 3: and then also the complexity of delivering the project within 27 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 3: the suburbs. 28 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: Because I would imagine, you know, like the suburbs that 29 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: usually do end up you know, well that do end 30 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 1: up having the power lines undergrounded are the ones that 31 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:45,400 Speaker 1: quite often are older suburbs, so some of that infrastructure 32 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: they've got probably a little bit older. And also there's 33 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: lots of like in a lot of cases, heaps of 34 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: huge trees and stuff around too. 35 00:01:54,400 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 3: That's correct, Katie, As was demonstrated in the after of 36 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 3: Cyclo markets, trees have a huge impact on our power network. 37 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 3: Trees coming down on the high voltage power lines have 38 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,920 Speaker 3: a much bigger impact on a larger number of customers, 39 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 3: and the adages can also be far longer than otherwise 40 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:18,359 Speaker 3: would be the case if it was just the low 41 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 3: voltage network. So that's why the first stage of this 42 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:25,079 Speaker 3: next phase of the project is looking at undergrounding the 43 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 3: high voltage power lines and leaving the low voltage there 44 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:35,639 Speaker 3: because that provides a bigger impact on reliability and security 45 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 3: of the networks for our customers. 46 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: And it must be like it must take quite some 47 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: time to sort of get you know, to get different 48 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 1: areas done. Belinda, when's it going to get started? And 49 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: you know how long will some of those suburbs take. 50 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 3: So works already underway. We're not actually digging in the 51 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 3: streets just yet, but we've got design work in progress, 52 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 3: we have we're looking at putting contracts in place, ensuring 53 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:07,800 Speaker 3: that we've got everything lined up before we actually start digging. 54 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:09,519 Speaker 3: So there's already a lot of work in progress. 55 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I know that everybody sort of wants their 56 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: their power lines underground. But then once that work gets 57 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: underway and it gets a bit disruptive, they probably start 58 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: to you know, start to complain a little bit or 59 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:22,239 Speaker 1: wonder how long it's going to take. 60 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:24,640 Speaker 2: But it does require quite a bit of. 61 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: Work in terms of actually, you know, the digging and 62 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: where they go and everything doesn't it. 63 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 3: It does, And that impact on the customers as we're 64 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 3: doing the work in their suburbs also a consideration for 65 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 3: us as we progress to getting closer to actually digging 66 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 3: up people's nature strips will be where we'll be putting 67 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 3: out communication plans and making sure people are very aware 68 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 3: of where we're going to be and how long it's 69 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 3: going to take and the impact on them specifically within 70 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 3: their street and in their in their front yard. 71 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, hey tell us. 72 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: So the next suburbs obviously are, by the look of it, Nikara, 73 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: Wogman and Larachia, isn't it. 74 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 3: So we've currently got design work underway for Nakara, Wogman, 75 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 3: Larakia and Alaa four suburbs that are that are on 76 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:21,680 Speaker 3: our starting list. So, yes, that's correct. 77 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: And where have we already done? Which suburbs have already 78 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: been done? Around the top end, so work. 79 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:31,599 Speaker 3: Was completed a number of years ago in Nightcliff, Rapid 80 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:36,040 Speaker 3: Creek and Milner. We've also more recently completed undergrounding of 81 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 3: eight out of the nine high voltage connections to schools. 82 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: And so when you're sort of going through the process, 83 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: I suppose of getting the work done in those different areas, 84 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 1: does it come down to undergrounding some of those locations 85 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: that are a bit older and that maybe have the 86 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: more aging infrastructure. 87 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 3: It really does come down to the number of outages, 88 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 3: number of customers, and complexity of actually doing the work. 89 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:06,279 Speaker 3: So we try and factor all three in in some cases, 90 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 3: so all of these are quite old suburbs and it's 91 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 3: difficult to differentiate based on age. Some suburbs have had 92 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,279 Speaker 3: upgrades at different times for different sections of their network. 93 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 3: So we're very much focused on those three key things 94 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,760 Speaker 3: of number of customers, the current impact that adages have 95 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:29,479 Speaker 3: on those customers in that suburb, and how hard it 96 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 3: is for us actually to complete the project. Some suburbs 97 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 3: have more rocks than others, so they're a lot harder 98 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 3: for us to deliver. So we're not getting the same 99 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:41,279 Speaker 3: value for money for a suburb that would be easier 100 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 3: to deliver. 101 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 2: Yeah. 102 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 1: Right, And so obviously those works already sort of starting 103 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:47,599 Speaker 1: to get underway in terms of the planning and that 104 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 1: kind of thing. And then as the years go on, 105 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:52,839 Speaker 1: we'll see the likes of the Narrows, Fanny Bay, Jingly, Moyles, 106 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 1: Stuart Park, and I guess everywhere else get underway. 107 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:02,400 Speaker 3: That's correct. There's thirteen suburbs all I live in one 108 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:04,360 Speaker 3: of those suburbs, and I'm not the first cab off 109 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:06,279 Speaker 3: the ranks. So I'm looking forward to making sure that 110 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 3: we deliver that whole project so that I don't have to, 111 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 3: so that my power reliability has improved in my suburb 112 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:13,080 Speaker 3: as well. 113 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 1: Good stuff that is good to hear, Belinda, And I 114 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:18,160 Speaker 1: know that plenty of people will be wondering when their 115 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: suburbs is going to get underway, But it is time 116 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: consuming and it is something that you know that will 117 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:26,159 Speaker 1: take a lot of planning and a lot of work. 118 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:28,720 Speaker 1: So really appreciate you having a chat with us this 119 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 1: morning and talking us through it. 120 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:32,560 Speaker 3: All, no worries. 121 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 2: Thank you, Thanks so much for your time.