Belmont council’s September 2024 vote started the process of exploring and funding underground power. It did not approve citywide construction. The City is still advocating to the State Government, investigating options and holding a reserve, and the timing for any given street depends on which of Western Australia’s two routes an area qualifies for and how far its scoping and costing have progressed.
What the September 2024 vote actually approved
On 24 September 2024, Belmont councillors voted unanimously to allocate $30,000 in the 2025–26 annual budget to support an expression of interest in Western Power’s Retrospective Undergrounding Project (RUP). Councillors also agreed to establish an underground-power reserve. PerthNow reported the decision on 11 October 2024. The vote was a decision to investigate and prepare. It was not a final construction commitment and not a co-funding agreement.
The council agenda from the same period makes the limits clearer. The City was waiting for a confirmed scoping report and cost estimate for a Targeted Underground Power Program (TUPP) area. It set out an indicative construction window of November 2028 to April 2030 for that area, and said detailed planning and cost estimates would follow scoping. The City was not obliged to proceed until a co-funding agreement was signed following a further council resolution.
That window applies to one project area. It is not a date for every street in Belmont.
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Two routes, two different sets of players
Western Australian local governments can get underground power through two routes, and which one applies determines who pays, who decides where the work goes, and how long it may take.
Targeted Underground Power Program (TUPP)
Under TUPP, Western Power selects areas using a network-driven approach. It focuses on clusters of ageing overhead assets. Costs may be shared between the City, Western Power, the State and property owners. State funding is tiered according to socioeconomic indicators, so the share available depends on the area.
Retrospective Undergrounding Project (RUP)
RUP allows a local government to request undergrounding outside Western Power’s network-driven priority list. The council agenda describes the local government as bearing most of the expense. Western Power contributes a reduced share that reflects the remaining value of the existing assets, and there is no State contribution. The council report also anticipated that RUP delivery could take longer, because TUPP receives priority and Western Power has limited delivery capacity.
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How the two routes compare
| Question | TUPP | RUP |
|---|---|---|
| Who selects or initiates an area | Western Power, using a network-driven approach to clusters of ageing overhead assets | A local government requests it, outside the network priority list |
| Priority and likely queue | Receives priority; the council anticipated the sooner route | Council anticipated delivery could take longer |
| State funding | Available, tiered by socioeconomic indicators | No State contribution, per the council agenda |
| City share (2024 base estimate, Belmont remainder) | $55.675 million before contingency scenarios | $91.12 million before contingency scenarios |
| Western Power share | Part of the shared cost model | Reduced share reflecting remaining asset value |
| Property-owner share | May apply; varies by project area | May apply; varies by project area |
| Stage (as of the latest located official material) | Scoping and detailed estimates pending for the indicative area | Expression of interest supported by the 2025–26 allocation |
The route changes the answer to three practical questions: who contributes, who sets the queue, and when work might start. It does not, on its own, fix a cost or a date.
What the 2024 cost figures do and do not mean
The council agenda reproduced high-level Western Power estimates for the rest of the City. All of the figures below are 2024 historical estimates. They are not current quotes.
| Figure | What it measures | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| $188.8 million | Estimated total cost to underground power in the remainder of the City, at a high-level estimate | City of Belmont council agenda, 2024 |
| $55.675 million | Estimated City contribution under TUPP, before contingency scenarios | City of Belmont council agenda, 2024 |
| $91.12 million | Estimated City contribution under RUP, before contingency scenarios | City of Belmont council agenda, 2024 |
| $30,000 | Budget allocation for 2025–26 to support a RUP expression of interest | Council decision reported by PerthNow, 11 October 2024 |
The agenda also modelled City-cost scenarios 30% and 50% higher than the base estimates. Applied to the 2024 base figures, that arithmetic gives roughly $72.4 million and $83.5 million for TUPP, and roughly $118.5 million and $136.7 million for RUP. These are illustrative scenarios, not forecasts. The council noted that recent TUPP projects have seen costs rise between high-level and detailed estimates, which is why the scenarios exist.
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Two points matter for residents. First, the City’s share is not a household bill. The council said property costs would vary by project area, depending on contributions from Western Power and the State where they apply. Second, the RUP City figure is higher than the TUPP figure because the State does not contribute to RUP. Councillors are weighing a route that is more expensive for the City but may be the only way to move faster for an area outside the priority list, if Western Power’s capacity allows.
Why it is taking so long
Three factors appear in the council material:
- Network priority. TUPP areas are chosen by Western Power based on network needs, so an area that is not on the list has to request RUP instead.
- Delivery capacity. The council report noted that Western Power has limited capacity, and that TUPP receives priority within that capacity.
- Scoping and estimates. Work cannot move to construction until a scoping report and detailed cost estimate exist, and a co-funding agreement is signed after a further council resolution.
The May 2026 asset management strategy adds a threshold. Where TUPP timelines exceed 15 years, the City will investigate RUP options, including streetlighting. That is a policy trigger, not a promise that RUP will be delivered within 15 years.
Where things stand in 2026
The City’s Asset Management Strategy, presented at the council meeting on 26 May 2026, says Belmont will advocate to the State Government to progress TUPP, including new streetlighting, across the remaining areas. It will investigate RUP options where TUPP timelines are long. The strategy also says a financial reserve has been established.
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That supports a current status of continued advocacy and option assessment. It does not establish that a citywide installation is funded, scheduled or underway, and no single current construction start covers every area of Belmont.
The officials’ remarks at the time of the 2024 vote framed the project in terms of benefits they expected, such as improved reliability and streetscape outcomes. PerthNow reported Mayor Robert Rossi saying, “While there’s no quick fix, this initiative will lay the essential groundwork for the future.” Those were stated rationales. The sources located do not contain measured results on outage reduction, canopy or walkability.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The Belvidere Street project is separate
A streetscape project on Belvidere Street has its own underground-power investigation. Belmont says an electrical consultant prepared an application to Western Power, with an electrical audit and consent letters from affected properties. Timing depends on Western Power’s process.
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Keep this project separate from the citywide TUPP and RUP discussion. The property-level audit may identify switchboard compatibility work for individual homes. That is a site-specific professional assessment, not a general recommendation to upgrade.
What to watch for next
- A confirmed scoping report and detailed cost estimate for a named project area. Without these, no construction date is firm.
- A council resolution on co-funding. Until a co-funding agreement is signed, the City is not committed to proceed.
- Property-owner cost notices for a specific area, which should replace the City-level totals above.
- Any Western Power confirmation that an area has been placed in its delivery program, whether under TUPP or after an RUP request.
Until one of these documents exists for your street, treat 2024 figures and the 2028–30 window as historical planning numbers rather than a schedule for your property.
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