The City of Wanneroo has intensified its opposition to a proposed overhead transmission line through the city’s east, with Mayor Linda Aitken declaring the council will no longer be a 'passive observer' in a project she believes fails to adequately consider community impacts and long-term planning.
Project Details and Concerns
Western Power is progressing with a new 24km overhead 132kV transmission line from the Wangara substation to the Neerabup terminal, with construction expected to start in the coming months. The line is planned to run along Ocean Reef Road, up Sydney Road, and through a corridor between Lake Gnangara and Jandabup Lake. It forms part of Western Power’s 'clean energy link,' intended to increase energy flow between Perth and the Mid West region, enabling more wind and solar power to be connected.
The city and local residents are calling for the alignment to be changed, arguing the project risks affecting future development plans in the East Wanneroo district, residential amenity, and bushfire safety. Despite months of lobbying, including meetings with Western Power and State Government representatives, there has been no change to Western Power’s proposal.
Council’s Escalated Response
At its meeting last week, the council voted unanimously to reaffirm its opposition and requested the mayor seek a meeting with the Premier and relevant ministers to facilitate a whole-of-government consideration of the project and its implications for East Wanneroo. Mayor Linda Aitken criticised the State Government’s approach, insisting that community concerns remained unresolved and the project would adversely impact both existing and future residents.
'Let me be very clear here: this is not just a Western Power issue, this is a whole government planning issue, and right now that co-ordination is not where it needs to be,' she said. 'We support critical infrastructure, we support a reliable, future-focused energy network, and recognise the importance of the clean energy link to the Perth northern growth corridor. But what we do not support is poor planning at the expense of our community. If we allow this to proceed in isolation, we risk costly rework in the future, misalignment with major transport corridors, and long-term impacts that could have been avoided with better planning today.'
State Government Response
A State Government spokesperson told PerthNow the planning process for the project had been under way for more than 10 years and future suburban areas were considered when the line’s route was chosen. They said community feedback had resulted in the route being altered to avoid private properties and the Sydney Road alignment was used as it is further away from the Gnangara town centre. 'Western Power and government departments have been working closely with the City of Wanneroo for over a decade to identify the best route for clean energy link — north,' the spokesperson said. 'Local consultation has been central to the planning process, with community meetings and direct engagement with local residents. Consultation will continue as we deliver this crucial piece of infrastructure for WA’s energy transition. This vital expansion of WA’s main power grid will feed cleaner, more affordable and more reliable renewable energy to households and businesses, including in Wanneroo.' The State Government believes installing the line underground would be more environmentally disruptive and significantly more expensive.
Previous Challenges and Next Steps
This latest escalation marks the second time the city has formally challenged the project, after a similar unanimous council resolution last November. A Western Power spokesperson previously told PerthNow they recognised the project would have some impact on people in the area and remained committed to engaging with the community to answer questions and address concerns. Construction of the transmission line is currently expected to be completed before the end of 2027.
