Media Release: Powercor starts work on new Shepparton depot

Electricity distribution business Powercor is investing $10 million to upgrade its Shepparton-based depot, providing employees a modern facility from which to deliver improved services to the regional community.

Work began last month on the new depot at 60 Doyles Rd, which is significantly larger than the current Wheeler Street depot and provides space for future growth and safer design.

The new depot will have improved office facilities, storage areas for equipment and fleet, and will support the future expansion of the workforce as part of Powercor’s program to deliver safe, reliable and affordable electricity to customers.

Shepparton Field Leader Trevor Laffy said the upgrade reinforced Powercor’s commitment to the region.

“It is because of our local depots that crews can manage and respond quickly to network faults and customer needs,” Mr Laffy said.

“The existing depot is over 50 years old – it was built in a different era to accommodate different equipment and trucks. The upgraded facility will allow us to better accommodate the large, modern equipment and trucks our crews now use and the specialist equipment necessary for maintaining electrical infrastructure.

“This all leads to greater standards of reliability of electricity supplies for customers.”

Built in 1966, the Wheeler Street depot accommodates 45 employees, including field crews, engineers and planners. The new depot will support up to a 25 per cent increase in field resources in the future.

Crews and employees at the depot support customers in Shepparton, Murchison, Tatura, Dookie, Mooroopna, Kyabram, Tongala, Rushworth and the surrounding region.

In the Greater Shepparton City Council region alone, employees at the Shepparton depot operate and maintain 22,684 poles, 2,621 kilometres of powerlines and 4,304 distribution transformers that deliver power to more than 33,550 Powercor customers.

During the past five years, Powercor has made substantial investments in regional services: upgrading six depots and adding three new depots in Mildura, Maryborough and Cobram; providing crews with better technology allowing faster access to data necessary for effective response; and improving fleet vehicles and resources. With these additional resources, Powercor teams have embarked on a major works program boosting network safety and capacity.

The Doyles Road depot is expected to be completed by mid-2020.