Auckland City Council
Media release

1 May 2009

Power certainty for Auckland

Auckland City Council is delighted the decision from the Electricity Commission today will see Auckland residents and businesses gain much-needed certainty over electricity supply.

The decision to run a cable between Penrose and Albany, with two new grid exit points to supply Vector at Hobson Street in the CBD and Wairau Road on the North Shore will provide greater security of supply to Penrose, Auckland’s CBD, the North Shore, Northland and the Far North.

“This means Auckland will have a built-in contingency for its electricity transmission lines, dramatically reducing the risk of widespread power failures like that in February of this year,” said Councillor Aaron Bhatnagar, chairman of the City Development Committee.

“The power issues in Auckland have highlighted the need for an improvement in the electricity infrastructure that serves Auckland.

“Our council has been stridently calling for this backup transmission line.

“The case we stated to the commission for an improvement in infrastructure for Auckland was heard loud and clear,” he said.

“We have worked closely with Transpower and lines company Vector to have the voice of Aucklanders heard and we look forward to helping Transpower bring effect to these changes in the future.

“Having recently been ranked the fourth best city in the world, the whole Auckland region needs to ensure its infrastructure lives up to the expectations of what a world-class city offers to residents and visitors.”

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