Notification of works
Powerline upgrades in Port Willunga
Tuesday 3 March 2026
What we are doing
We’re replacing around 3kms of ageing high voltage powerline and related equipment including 13 Stobie poles, 2 pole-mounted transformers, and 54 pole-top arrangements.
Port Willunga is a high corrosion area, and this work will maintain or improve power reliability. Our work is along Port and Bowering Hill Roads, William Street and the Esplanade in Port Willunga. The new poles will be replaced in the same, or similar location, to the existing poles.
To keep costs as low as possible for all South Australian electricity consumers, power reliability maintenance programs are generally ‘like-for-like’ meaning an overhead network will be maintained or upgraded as an overhead network. All new electricity connections in SA are now underground, however we would not generally underground replacements as there is still a lot of serviceable equipment on the network.
Local councils can apply to the State Government for subsidised powerline undergrounding where their ratepayers see value in investing in this work. The Department of Energy and Mining administers the scheme, and there are annual limits to the number of projects supported. These projects can take years to approve, and we will be proceeding with the overhead network maintenance as there is a risk of unplanned power outages if we delay.
How this affects you
Our civil contractor Noone Nominees has already installed the new pole footings, temporarily filled with sand for safety reasons. For pole installation, they will be using ‘vacuum excavation’ methods to remove the sand which may be very noisy at times.
Our powerline crews will install the new Stobie poles and replace our overhead powerlines between March and September 2026. We will remove the old poles on completion.
We expect the work will be done Mondays to Fridays between 8am and 3pm, and to complete all work by the end of October 2026.
Customers connected to the existing overhead powerlines will be connected to the new overhead network. Our contractor A & W Electric will contact customers directly if we need to change their connection and make appropriate arrangements for access and timing. There is no charge to customers for this work.
Traffic management
Traffic management will be in place while our crews are working in public areas. Temporary speed limits, lane closures, partial road closures, and possible detours will be in place for the safety of workers, road users and pedestrians.
We will minimise disruption as much as possible and appreciate the patience and support of our local community and visitors affected by this work.
Power outages
We will notify customers in advance of any power outages that will affect them, typically two weeks’ notice for customers subscribed to our free SMS/ email notification service, however we will aim for more notice.
We will post cards to customers not registered for the SMS/ email service, however there may be delays in customers receiving the post.
We encourage anyone not already subscribed, to sign up for updates using the National Meter Identifier (NMI) found on your electricity bill. You're welcome to call us for help if you need it.
Subscribing is a helpful way to receive updates related to planned and unplanned power outages, as well as other disruptions such as night works or noise.
Map of work location
Map: the work area in Port Willunga.
Thank you
We know this work will have some significant local impacts, and we appreciate the support and patience of the local community throughout this work. We apologise for any inconvenience or disruption.
Our work dates and hours may vary due to weather conditions or unexpected circumstances.
Further information
If you have any questions about our work, please contact Natalie on (08) 7326 2924 during business hours, or email us at CustomerCommunication@sapowernetworks.com.au
- General Enquires: 13 12 61
- Interpreter service: 13 14 50
- Sign up for free outage alerts and other notifications: sapowernetworks.co/SMSservice