Site selection process

Our sustainability policy lies at the heart of all our new infrastructure planning.

For us, ‘sustainability’ means meeting the needs of current and future generations by considering environmental protection, social advancement, and economic prosperity in our business activities and decisions.

In planning for future infrastructure requirements, we must respond to a rapidly growing population and an increase in electricity demand as people use more appliances in their daily life and housing and industry continues to grow.

Social and community

  • What are the predicted future energy requirements of the community?
  • What is the land zoning of the site and its proximity to residents?
  • What is the likely visual impact, considering the direct line of sight, substation height and visual screening options?
  • Can the substation be located as to not disturb surrounding residents and if not, can a design solution be determined?

Environmental

  • Are there any potential impacts on declared rare flora or fauna, priority flora or threatened ecological communities?
  • Is the site likely to impact an underground water protection area or wetland system?
  • Is a design option likely to impact on any known Indigenous or European heritage sites?

Technical

  • Is the location close to the load area that it will service?
  • Is the substation located as close as possible to existing transmission lines, from which it will draw its power?
  • Does the site allow for connection of in-coming transmission lines and out-going underground distribution lines?
  • Is the substation close enough to homes and businesses, to make the establishment of underground distribution lines economically and logistically feasible?
  • Is the site far enough away from underground copper cables (eg. telecommunications cables) and the steel pipelines used by gas and water companies, so that earthing and voltage induction issues can be avoided. Where this cannot be avoided, costs to mitigate are extreme.
  • Could a standard design be accommodated on the site, or are there special design considerations?
  • Could design features enable the substation to blend with the character of the surrounding area?
  • Does the site have uninterrupted access for transmission and distribution lines to connect in to it?
  • Physical constraints such as slope, geology, water table and flooding.
  • Engineering features such as vehicle access, earthworks and services.

Economic

  • As a regulated body, can we satisfy the Economic Regulation Authority that the most cost effective solution has been identified?
  • What alternative solutions are available?
  • Can cost effective improvements to the design reduce the visual impacts on the community?