Picnic Point to Revesby Cable Project

The Revesby Zone Substation is currently supplied by two 132,000 Volt fluid filled underground cables. The existing cables are more than 40 years old and are approaching the end of their service life. They have experienced failures, fluid leaks and increased rates of corrective works in recent years and must be replaced to maintain a safe and reliable power supply to customers.

The project is part of a program to retire fluid filled cables across our network.

We took a range of factors into consideration in planning this project, including:

• community impacts
• availability of space around existing utility services
• environmental and social impacts
• cost (minimising the impact on electricity bills)
• technical feasibility
• traffic impacts.

Under the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, Ausgrid is the determining authority for the project. This process includes preparation of an environmental assessment (Review of Environmental Factors or REF). The REF includes a range of specialist studies and input from the community, councils and other authorities.

The REF was on exhibition for comment from Friday 7 September 2018 to Friday 28 September 2018. At this stage, Ausgrid encouraged further feedback from the community by email, phone or directly at a drop in information session held during this time.

Printed copies of the REF were available at the Panania Library and Knowledge Centre, Panania and at Ausgrid's office at 570 George Street, Sydney. Interested community members could also view the REF via the link on our website www.ausgrid.com.au/picnicpointrevesby (where it can still be viewed).

A drop in session was also held at the Revesby Workers Club on Monday 17 September 2018 for community to discuss the REF and ask questions. Interested community members were invited to attend the session directly through a newsletter, an advertisement in the local newspaper and social media.

While Ausgrid received no formal submissions during the REF stage, Ausgrid considered all feedback received via phone calls, emails and face-to-face meetings till date as part of the process of assessing the project for construction approval.

Picnic Point to Revesby Cable Project - Review of Environmental Factors (REF)

Appendix A - Drawings and Plans

Appendix B - Consultation Documents

Appendix C - Magentic Field Assessment

Appendix D - Qualitative Noise Assessment

Appendix E - Geotechnical investigations

Appendix F - Arborist report

Appendix G - Determination Report for Georges River National Park

REF Determination Report

Ausgrid started engaging with key stakeholders, such as Georges River National Park and City of Canterbury Bankstown Council in early 2018 to obtain feedback on the replacement cable route.

Engagement with residents and businesses along and around the replacement cable route started in April 2018 when the first project newsletter was distributed. A copy of the newsletter can be found at the bottom of this page.

On 26 April 2018, Ausgrid held an information session at the Revesby Worker’s Club (Acacia Room) to seek local information and community feedback on the replacement cable route. Interested community members were invited to the information session through the newsletter, social media and advertisement in local newspaper. 

A detailed presentation focusing on the project need, planning to date and the construction process was shared with the community members who attended the information session. 

Ausgrid held the second information session on 17 September 2018 at Revesby Worker’s Club (Grevillea Room) to discuss the environmental assessment known as the Review of Environmental Factors (REF). The REF was on display at various locations for the community feedback from 7 September – 28 September 2018.

Interested community members were invited to attend the session directly through a newsletter, an advertisement in the local newspaper and social media. A copy of the second newsletter can also be found at the bottom of the page.

Thank you to all the community members who attended the sessions and shared their feedback. All the feedback received from the community helped inform the planning process and mitigate or avoid impacts during construction.

The consultation summary for the project can be viewed via the link at the bottom of the page. You can also contact us to request a copy of the consultation summary.

We will continue to engage with the community and stakeholders during each stage of the project.  Ausgrid welcomes questions or comments about the project at any time.

Work to install the new 132,000 Volt cable and spare conduits through streets in Picnic Point and Revesby is now finished.  This work involved:

• digging trenches in roads to lay conduits (plastic pipes) to accommodate the new cables
• backfilling trenches and temporary resurfacing of impacted areas (trenching and temporary resurfacing takes about three days outside each property depending on ground and weather conditions)
• excavating underground joint bays at various locations along the cable route
• feeding in and joining sections of cable at the joint bay locations
• permanently restoring impacted areas, in consultation with Council once the overall project is complete.

Retiring the existing cables between our substation in Revesby and Transgrid’s substation in Picnic Point will involve some work at various locations along that cable route and at the substations themselves. This will include:

• Excavating existing joint bays along the cable route
• Removing cable equipment
• Disconnecting the cables.

Temporary restoration of the areas of the road surface impacted by construction is complete. Permanent restoration will be undertaken by Bankstown Council.