City Council’s Policy On Underground Cables

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29932, 20 September 1962, Page 15

City Council’s Policy On Underground Cables

Continuation of the policy of providing underground cabling in new streets and the central city area and an extension to existing housing areas where residents request the service and are prepared to meet part of the cost were approved by the City Council last evening after the chairman of the electricity committee (Cr. W. E. Olds) had reviewed the progress of underground cabling.

At the end of the financial year in 1958 there was less than a mile- and a half of low voltage underground cable in service in the streets of the Municipal Electricity Department’s area, Cr. Olds said. Four years later, at last March, there were nearly 15 miles. Underground cable was being installed in new streets as rapidly as an import licence for it could be obtained, and many subdivisions were being provided with wholly underground reticulation. By this month the length of cable in service had increased to more than 17 miles, and another three miles had been laid ready to be put into service. “The department hag endeavoured to stimulate the use of underground cables by paying half of the additional cost of such cabling, as compared with overhead supply, the subdividers being required to pay only the remaining half of the difference,” Cr. Olds said. “In addition, every effort has been made to reduce the cost of underground cabling by developing a system based

on new types of plastic insulated cable, which has reduced the subdivider's halfshare of the additional cost from approximately £35 to £4O a section to less than half this. New cable jointing techniques have resulted in more rapid installation so that it has been possible to carry out the additional work with the somewhat limited trained staff available.” It was unfortunate that the Housing Division of the Ministry of Works had not yet agreed to contribute on the same basis as private subdividers, but further efforts are being made to obtain their co-operation, he continued. City Area The department had been proceeding with underground cabling in Gloucester street and Victoria square, although various difficulties had resulted in progress being slower than was at first hoped. It was now expected that the overhead wires would be removed completely in Gloucester street between Oxford terrace and Manchester street before Christmas. Work would then proceed on the next stage—Worcester street and Hereford street — with the object of ensuring that overhead wires are removed from the streets in the central city area as soon as possible. Reviewing the future policy, Cr. Olds recommended continuation of the present policy for reticulation of new streets and the central area.

In existing housing areas reticulated with overhead Lines, there were two categories, he said. One was where residents asked the department to have underground cabling and the other where the department had to replace lines in the streets.

Subject to material being available, the council agreed with the committee on the following policy:—

Where the residents in a street request the lines to be placed underground, it is proposed that this be on the same basis as in a new subdivision and that the subsidy required from the consumers be only on haff the extra cost of the new reticulation, the department removing the overhead line at its own expense. This will only be done where the existing lines have been in service for at least 10 years. In streets where major reconstruction of the street mains is necessary, the consumers will be canvassed to see if they wish to have underground cable under the same conditions. ‘‘There will be difficulties in the- details of working this scheme, but if the policy is not adopted the department will find itself in a few years in the position that the newer outlying areas and the centre of the city are reticulated in underground cable but the older residential areas are still overhead, and the lines will have to be rebuilt with a life of 20 or 30 years.” Cr. Olds said.