Planned works Te Kūiti to underground overhead lines
9 July 2026
The Lines Company (TLC) will be carrying out planned outages in Te Kūiti this July as part of important electricity network upgrades designed to reduce future disruptions and improve long term reliability for customers.
On Friday 17 July and Tuesday 21 July, a small number of customers will be affected while crews complete work to move sections of overhead power lines underground along key transport routes. Around 46 customers will be affected on 21 July, with a smaller number impacted on 17 July.
This upgrade focuses on areas where oversized loads such as house relocations, forestry equipment and large machinery regularly travel through the network.
Moving these lines underground will help remove barriers and reduce the need for ongoing intervention.
“We know how frustrating it can be to be without power, even for a short time,” said Jared Murrell, General Manager – Service Delivery. “But this work is about reducing future outages by addressing the root of the issue. By putting these lines underground, we’re making the network safer, more reliable and better suited to the way our roads are used today.
“These upgrades will help reduce outages caused by oversized load movements, improve safety for the public, contractors and crews, lower the complexity of managing these movements and minimise the need for repeat disruption in the future.”
Currently, when large loads move through the area, there is a detailed process required to ensure safe clearance from overhead lines. This can include engineering assessments, on-site measurements, crew escorts and at times planned outages to allow safe passage.
By undergrounding lines along these key routes, TLC is helping create a more efficient and resilient network for the community.
Crews will complete the work as safely and efficiently as possible and customers will have received advance notification of any planned outages affecting their property from their retailer.
TLC thanks the Te Kūiti community for their patience and understanding while this important work is carried out.