Strengthening the community network for generations to come

After six decades of powering Te Awamutu, the 11kV underground power cables along Racecourse Road have had a well-deserved upgrade, with work that started in May 2024 completed this month.

Since 1966, these cables have faithfully served the town’s growing population.

Waipā Networks’ chief executive, Sean Horgan, highlighted that as the community expands, so must its infrastructure.

“We’ve invested over $30m this year to ensure that we will meet the growing electricity demands in our region. The Te Awamutu cable upgrade project was one of our major projects for 2024,” said Horgan.

The new cables stretch over five kilometres from the Te Awamutu substation, running under the Mangapiko stream, and connect to overhead lines that support the entire Te Awamutu network, including Kāwhia. This connection ensures a reliable power supply for the community.

In 1966 when the original cables were laid, Te Awamutu’s population was just 5,000 people.

Today, more than 15,500 individual connections run to the Te Awamutu Grid Exit Point (GXP), and Waipā Networks has an crucial role in supporting the region’s growth and increased demand for power.

“As Te Awamutu, Kawhia and its surrounding areas continue to grow, investing in key infrastructure ahead of time is important,” Horgan explained.

“This upgrade ensures our urban and rural power network can meet our communities growing demand for power, while replacing aging assets improves the security of supply.”

“We would like to say a huge thank you to the community for their patience and understanding as we carried out this important work over the last few months,” said Horgan.

To show their appreciation and celebrate the end of the project, Waipā Networks held a community BBQ at Eileen Montefiore Reserve on 4 December.