Rural schools upgrade

Since late 2020, we’ve undertaken work to upgrade the power supply at select rural schools across our electricity network.

Schools in urban areas tend to have access to more modern parts of Powerco’s electricity network, while rural primary schools are often located in areas that are due investment.

Because schools function as a venue for other activities (such as Civil Defence emergency centres, polling places and community events) ensuring they can provide a safe, reliable power supply is important not only for our tamariki, but our wider communities too.

Starting in Taranaki, we checked the power supply at all rural primary schools and identified those most in need. During the December 2020/January 2021 school holidays (timed to minimise disruption) we invested $490,000 to upgrade the power supply at 12 schools, including replacing poles, lines and crossarms, and undergrounding some cables.

Following Taranaki, we carried out similar upgrades in 2021 at 9 schools in the Wairarapa, an investment of $452,000, and 16 rural schools in Whanganui, an investment of $446,000.

Kaimata Primary School Principal Charlaine Spencer and her teachers have “peace of mind” following an upgrade of the power poles and power lines outside their school gate.

“It’s good to know the lines outside the school are in good condition and that our school users are safe,” Charlaine says.