Pahi Peninsula project
Location: Pahi
Start date: February 2026
Completion date: April 2026
Investment: $1.6 million
Strengthening our network on the Pahi Peninsula
Northpower completed a major essential upgrade of the electricity network on the Pahi Peninsula to replace ageing infrastructure and improve long‑term reliability for homes, businesses and community facilities across the area.
The previous power lines along Pahi Road had reached the end of their service life. Because the peninsula is supplied by a single spur line, the work required a series of planned outages, so our crews could complete the upgrades safely. We know this had a big impact on the community, and our Customer Team worked closely with locals to keep everyone well informed throughout the project.
Why was the upgrade needed?
The Pahi Peninsula is supplied by a single 11kV spur line that services around 280 customers. Much of the infrastructure on this line, including poles, hardware and overhead conductors, had reached its end of life.
Replacing the equipment will help to reduce the risk of unplanned outages and improve the safety and resilience of our network. We also wanted to make sure it can withstand the harsh coastal environment.
This project represents an investment of around $1.6 million into the local network.
What we did
Between February and April 2026, Northpower crews are replaced 40 power poles along the spur line and reconductored the entire length of Pahi Road. This included installing new crossarms, hardware and fittings and upgrading the associated distribution transformers and equipment as required.
We strengthened the foundations and improved clearances to meet modern standard and prepared for a future realignment of the 11kV line across the causeway.
Because this work could not be carried out on live lines, planned outages were required throughout the construction period, with different parts of the peninsula are affected at different times.
Community Support
This was a significant amount of work for a rural community on a single line supply. Leading up to the project, we hosted community information sessions and attended the Paparoa A&P Show to share information. We provided early notifications for all planned outages, offered direct support for customers with essential needs, and ensured local crews were available on site or by phone throughout the project.
Northpower hosted two community days at the Pahi Hall to supply power, internet and hot food and drinks to anyone who needed it during the outages.
Thank you to the Pahi community for your patience and collaboration while we completed this essential work.
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