Keeping Waihao and Makikihi connected

Out on Hook Swamp Road, with the Hunter Hills providing a stunning backdrop, some important work has been quietly taking place.

Our team recently completed a major overhead line maintenance project - the kind of work that often goes unseen but plays a big role when it matters most.

As part of our regular inspection and asset management programme, we identified a number of assets reaching the end of their service life. Of the 37 poles assessed, 15 were scheduled for replacement - as they were nearing end of life and posed an increasing risk to reliability, particularly during severe weather or peak demand.

Rather than waiting for issues to arise, we stepped in early.

This work focused on strengthening this part of the network, including:

• Replacing 15 ageing  poles along Hook Swamp Road and Makikihi Beach Road
• Upgrading pole-top equipment, including porcelain fuses
• Installing possum guards to help reduce wildlife-related faults
• Completing testing and commissioning to ensure everything performs as it should

By removing these higher-risk assets from service, we’re reducing the likelihood of outages, improving safety, and minimising the need for reactive repairs.

For the local community, this means fewer unplanned interruptions and a network that’s better equipped to handle tough conditions - helping keep homes, farms and businesses connected.

It’s a good example of taking a proactive approach, investing where it counts, and making sure our network is set up to perform now and into the future.