Mayor welcomes new power line

29 May 2014

Waipa Mayor Jim Mylchreest says the installation of a new electricity line can't come soon enough for Te Awamutu.

Council has signed off on the first part of a deal which would see it grant an easement for a new 110kv electricity line to be installed by Waipa Networks in Te Awamutu, subject to appropriate approvals. Waipa Networks will need to apply for a designation and resource consents for the new line to Waipa, Otorohanga and Waitomo District Councils. The councils are likely to publicly notify the applications and appoint independent hearing commissioners to consider the applications.

Mayor Mylchreest said a new line was critical in eliminating a high level of risk for 14,000 electricity customers in Te Awamutu and the surrounding areas.

At the moment, we don't have certainty of supply because there's only one line coming into the town. When there's a fault on the line, or it needs servicing, we suffer from power outages and that's simply not sustainable nor acceptable in this day and age.

Part of the proposed new electricity line would be installed on council-owned land, largely within existing road corridors and in the area already designated for the western arterial route. The line would run from the Hangatiki substation at Waitomo Caves Road, along the eastern edge of Anchor Park and connect to Transpower's existing national grid system at the substation behind Factory Road in Te Awamutu.

Mayor Mylchreest said council staff had worked closely with Waipa Networks to find the best location for the proposed line. It has minimal impact on the future construction of the western arterial route and will reduce, as much as possible, the impact on surrounding houses.

Saying that, people will certainly want to have their say during the resource consent process and the location will not be definite until that process has been completed.

Waipa Networks has already begun consulting directly affected landowners and other key stakeholders about the proposed new line with wider public consultation still to come. The designation and resource consent applications are expected to be lodged in June this year.

There will still be a range of issues to work through but with at least with the proposed location sorted, Waipa Networks can now move forward and start sorting those issues out, Mayor Mylchreest said.

If the designation process is successful, Waipa District Council would receive $325,000 in compensation for an easement over the land needed for the line. Half the money will go into a special reserve account earmarked for the benefit of Te Awamutu. The remainder will be used to reduce debt related to land purchased for the western arterial route, also in Te Awamutu.

Ends

Media enquiries only contact: Jeanette Tyrrell (on behalf of Council) 027 5077 599

Other enquiries at Waipa District Council contact: Dawn Harpur 07 823 3840.

For enquiries of Waipa Networks, contact Jacqui Thorby 0274 781 806