Western Power Network Support Services

Benang delivers infrastructure services under the Western Power Network Support Services Program across the Perth metro area. The crews self-perform cable laying, service locating, trenching, dry-vac excavation, horizontal directional drilling, and substation work, including overhead to underground conversions.

Client: Western Power
Contract value: $12 million per annum
Sector: Utilities
Services: Power
Location: Perth Metro, WA
Dates: 2024 to 2027

Challenge
Network support across a live metro grid means working around energised services, congested verges, and the public, while converting overhead lines to underground and upgrading high voltage feeders without service strikes.
Approach
Benang self-performs the work end to end. At Green Street, Mt Hawthorn the crew delivered an overhead to underground conversion, two kilometres of low and high voltage cable, nine streetlight poles, a new ring main unit site, and three low voltage kiosks. At Gnangara Road, Aveley the crew installed 2.6 kilometres of high voltage cable in 160mm HDPE by horizontal directional drilling and commissioned three new ring main unit sites. Live underground services were exposed safely with the in-house dry-vac truck fleet, and utilities were located and mapped in house to prevent strikes.
Outcome
The programme runs from March 2024 to March 2027, with zero service strikes reported on the cited works and six new ring main unit sites commissioned across the Green Street and Gnangara Road jobs.