Wellington City has an extensive network of overhead electricity and telecommunications cabling that provide important services to Wellington residents, businesses and organisations.
Utility operators install overhead cables because they are the most cost-effective and efficient way to provide their services to customers. However, overhead cabling can be unsightly and the most popular method of reducing the visual impact of overhead cable networks is to place them underground.
In order to prevent the intensification of overhead cabling, Council approved District Plan changes in 2004 that prevent utility operators from installing any new or additional overhead cabling. Furthermore, the Council requires all cabling for new developments to be installed underground.
The Undergrounding Policy outlines the Council’s approach to retrospective undergrounding i.e. putting existing overhead cabling underground.
Undergrounding Policy (70KB PDF)