Powerco invests in Hairini area electricity upgrade to support Tauranga growth

Work to strengthen and future proof the electricity network in the suburb of Hairini will get underway in May 2026, with Powerco investing in upgrades to support residential growth and help improve the reliability of power supply for local homes and businesses.

The project will take place along Haukore Street, through the Welcome Bay roundabout and into parts of Ohauiti Road and Welcome Bay Road – an area experiencing increased electricity demand.

Powerco’s General Manager Electricity, Karen Frew, says the upgrade is a significant investment in Tauranga’s growing communities.

“Tauranga continues to grow at pace and it’s important we have the infrastructure to support it,” she says.

“This work will strengthen the network so we can continue to deliver reliable electricity supply and restore power more quickly when outages do occur.”

The project involves installing new underground cables and four new switching units, as well as removing some existing overhead power lines. Undergrounding the network through a busy area like this will also reduce safety risks, including vehicles hitting power poles and improve overall network resilience during storm events.

Powerco contractor, Northpower, will carry out the work, which will involve directional drilling, trenching and traffic management along key routes. Some work will take place at night to help minimise disruption during the day.

While most work can be completed without interrupting power supply, some planned outages may be required to ensure crews can work safely. Affected customers will be notified in advance by their electricity retailer. Closer to the time, customers can also check for planned outages for their address on Powerco’s planned outages webpage.

Work is expected to be completed by September 2026.