About the project
The need to keep our infrastructure safe from intruders and comply with relevant acts, codes, standards and guidelines saw the investment of $27 million in an asset security upgrade project at 47 substations and switching stations around the State. In the past, intruder detection systems were installed inside buildings but no systems were in place to detect unauthorised visitors in the outside switchyards. Now all substations have been fitted with compliant security fences, electronic access control systems, electronic intruder detection systems and visual monitoring systems at critical sites. To ensure the safety of workers, the systems can be disarmed by authorised personnel using their electronic access cards.
The ground-breaking project has sparked interest from other organisations including the Department of Defence and was highly commended at the 2009 Engineering Excellence Awards. The work by the Substations department also was recognised internally with the 2009 Chairman’s Award for Innovation.
The benefits
The project has helped to ensure that members of the public attempting to enter our facilities illegally are not injured or killed. It also helps to protect our assets from physical damage as a result of break-ins, ensuring that we meet the requirements of good electricity industry practice.
Completion date
The project started in 2006 and was completed in 2009.