CONSAC Replacement Project

Ausgrid will discuss the program of work with each local Council prior to work starting in the local government area.

Following these discussions, Ausgrid will provide a notification to local residents, businesses and key stakeholders about the work. The project team will be available to discuss how we are planning to do the work and the likely construction impacts in their local area.

Ausgrid has already begun work to upgrade the existing underground low voltage electricity cables in some areas. Work will continue on the remaining 850 kilometres of underground low voltage electricity cables over the coming few years.

Temporary impacts

Work will involve digging a trench in sections along the road reserve and installing new conduits which the cables will run through. We will then backfill the trench and a temporary surface will be laid, with permanent restoration to occur in consultation with the local council.

New electrical pillars will be installed in conjunction with cable installation works. The old pillars will be removed once all customers are transferred onto the new cables.

During this work:

• Street parking and some footpaths around the work zone may be restricted.
• There will be some noise and dust, however we will make every effort to keep this to a minimum and will try to finish the work as quickly as possible.
• Traffic control will be in place to maintain the safety of both workers and the community.
• Some equipment may be stored on footpaths and nature strips for a few days ahead of installation.
• Decorative driveways will be under-bored, where possible
• Non-decorative driveways will be neatly trenched and then restored in keeping with the existing surface.

We will provide you with more information before this work starts.

View an infographic of the project stages here. 

Connecting you to the new cables

When all the replacement cables are installed, we will commence works to connect the new cables and decommission the redundant network.

This work will involve interruptions to your power supply to allow the work to be completed safely. Ausgrid will provide notification of planned interruptions to your power supply in accordance with the National Energy Customer Framework.

Managing impacts

There will be some temporary impacts for residents and businesses. This may include noise, traffic and parking disruptions. We will make every effort to minimise these impacts.

Our contractors will implement appropriate traffic management to ensure the safety of road users and pedestrians around the work areas.

Sections of the parking lane will need to be closed where the crews are working, but these will be opened up again as they move along the street.

Access to driveways will generally be maintained, unless we make alternative arrangements with you in advance.

Work will be undertaken between 7 am and 6 pm Mondays to Fridays, and 8 am and 1 pm on Saturdays.

We may need to do work at night in some locations to avoid major traffic disruptions during the day. We will notify nearby properties before this work happens.

What is CONSAC?

Concentric Neutral Solid Aluminium Conductor (CONSAC) cables are low voltage (LV) cables with the neutral conductor in the form of concentric aluminium sheath acting as a combined neutral and earth connection.

What is it used for?

The low voltage cables provide homes and businesses in the area with power.

Why is it underground?

Some areas of our network are supplied by underground cables rather than power poles and overhead wires.

Why is the cable being replaced?

The existing CONSAC cables are reaching the end of their serviceable life and will be replaced as part of our capital works program to allow Ausgrid to maintain a safe and reliable electricity network.

What will the cable be replaced with?

The existing cables will be replaced with new low voltage cables which will be housed inside plastic conduits.

A conduit is a protective cover, tube or piping system for electric cables. See image below.

When will these new cables need to be replaced again?

The conduits should lengthen the serviceable life of the cables and will make it easier for cables to be replaced in the future.

This means that any future cable replacement can be done through the existing conduits, so we do not have to dig up large sections of the road and footpath.

How will Ausgrid do the work?

Work will involve digging a trench in sections along the road reserve and installing new conduits which the cables will run through.

We will then backfill the trench and a temporary surface will be laid, with permanent restoration to occur in consultation with local council.

New electrical pillars will be installed in conjunction with the cable installation works. The old pillars will be removed once customers are transferred onto the new cables.

How will we be connected to the new cables?

As new cables are installed, we will commence works to connect the new cables and decommission the redundant network.

This work will involve interruptions to your power supply to allow the work to be completed safely.

Ausgrid will provide notification of planned interruptions to your power supply in accordance with the National Energy Customer Framework.

Will you trench across my driveway?

Ausgrid will need to lay pipe under your driveway. We will use different methods depending on the finish of the driveway.

Decorative driveways will be under-bored, where possible.

Non-decorative driveways will be neatly trenched and then restored in keeping with the existing surface.

How will your restore the area in front of my property?

Typically, restoration is done in two stages:

• excavated sections of road reserve are filled and resurfaced straight away to allow normal use by traffic.

• permanent resurfacing of the affected areas is done in consultation with local council.

Construction work hours

Work will usually be done between 7 am and 6 pm Mondays to Fridays, and 8 am and 1 pm on Saturdays.

We may need to do work at night in some locations to avoid major traffic disruptions during the day. We will always notify nearby properties before this work happens.

Will there be a power outage?

If the work being conducted requires a power outage, Ausgrid will deliver notifications that specifies the date and time of the outage. Additionally, NECF notifications are delivered to the specific households that will experience an outage to their property.

Will I be disrupted while Ausgrid does the work?

There will be some temporary impacts for residents and businesses on or near the work. This may include noise, traffic and parking disruptions. We will make every effort to minimise these impacts.

Our contractors will use traffic management crews to guide road users and pedestrians around the work areas.

Sections of the parking lane will need to be closed where the crews are working, but these will be opened up again as they move along the street.

Will there be vibration?

Yes, there may be some vibration during the trenching work, particularly where the ground is rocky.

Ausgrid will minimise the vibration as much as possible.

Will I be able to get in and out of my driveway while Ausgrid does the work?

Access to driveways will generally be maintained, unless we make alternative arrangements with you in advance.

What are pillars?

We install pillars in both residential and commercial areas.

Residential pillars are around 380mm wide by 655mm high. They are usually green in colour. See example in image below.

We usually install larger pillars in commercial areas. These pillars vary in size and colour.

Benefits of pillars?

• faster restoration of supply to the majority of customers during electrical outages
• additional electrical capacity in the local area
• a safer way for crews to operate the network
• greater flexibility in the electricity network
• greater network reliability.

What is the reliability of this type of pillar?

The new pillars are very reliable, and providing they are not damaged or tampered with, should provide many years of service.

What happens if someone hits a pillar with their car?

Any damaged pillars need to be reported to Ausgrid on 13 13 88. We will send a crew out to investigate and repair any damage.

How does Ausgrid determine where to put a new pillar?

Individual properties are currently connected to the network at pillars (aboveground junction points).

New pillars will be located within two metres of the existing pillars (see picture below for potential locations), so that we can safely reconnect your electricity supply.

However, the final location will not be known until we are on site, due to existing site conditions and other services, but will remain outside your property boundary.

Will Ausgrid talk to me about the location of the pillar before it is installed?

While, we are happy to talk with residents about the placement of the pillars near their properties, Ausgrid tries to keep the pillars on the boundary between two properties as this is usually the connection point for these properties.

If this is not possible due to services, boundary walls etc, we are happy to talk to both residents about options for the pillar location as the work proceeds.

What if I don't agree with Ausgrid's decision?

Ausgrid is happy to hear your concerns.

However, the installation and placement of new pillars is required to connect your property and neighbouring properties into the electricity network. We do try to minimise the number of pillars in each street.

Can vegetation be planted around a pillar?

Ausgrid needs to be able to access the pillars to carry out repairs from time to time.

For this reason, we do not plant vegetation around pillars. Over time, root systems can also damage underground electrical cables.

Project approval process

Ausgrid is the approving authority for the work under the NSW Environmental Planning & Assessment Act.

We conduct an environmental assessment for the project to investigate the potential environmental impacts associated with the construction, operation and maintenance of the new cables.

Mitigation measures have been identified to address and minimise impacts where feasible.