Energy Australia Community Information Display

Energy Australia recently sent a letter to all residents along a proposed route from Beaconsfield to Kogarah where they intend to install new underground cables.  The cables will run through the following streets of Enmore & Marrickville:  Burrows Road, Campbell Road, Barwon Park Road, May Street, Edgeware Road, Edinburgh Road, Fitzroy Street, Sydenham Road, Meeks Road, Myrtle Street, Charlotte Avenue, High Street, Ruby Street, Warren Road, Excelsior Parade & Richards Avenue. They will tunnel also under the Cooks River Between Marrickville South & Arncliffe.

Energy Australia say the trenches will cause no damage to street trees

We went to the first of 2 Community Information Displays for Marrickville last night.  Two 132,000 volt feeders comprising of 3 individual cables will be placed in trenches approximately 1.5 metres wide & 1.3 metres deep. The trenches will be dug in approximately 30 metres sections.  Work for each section should be completed within 2 days.  Underground Joint Bays that will be approximately 12 metres long, 3 metres wide & 2.5 metres deep. They will need 1-2 months to complete, though at the Community Information Display the picture boards said 1-3 months.  Energy Australia hasn’t decided yet where the Underground Joint Bays will be located.  They will dig under the Cooks River to a depth of 12 metres or more.

Energy Australia says they need to use this route because, although the maps don’t show it, there is a substation at Meeks Road Marrickville.   They said they couldn’t use Carrington Road because it has been used for other services & placing the cables there could “derate” the cables if they are close to other cables.

Energy Australia representatives gave us explicit assurances that digging the trenches in our suburban streets will have absolutely no effect on the roots of the trees or affect the health of the trees in any way.  They said they have been doing this throughout Sydney streets for 40 years without affecting trees & cited leafy Roseville as an example.

The next Community Information Display will be on Thursday 2^nd September 2010 & you can go to ask questions anytime between 2-4pm. It will be in Meeting Room 1 at the Debbie & Abbey Borgia Recreation Centre, 531 Illawarra Road Marrickville South.

Cooks River Marrickville side showing some of the new native grasses recently planted by Marrickville Council