Electricity provider Ausgrid says its Lower Hunter costumers will receive improved responses to local power outages thanks to the opening of a new depot at Beresfield.
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The Weakleys Drive site replaces the company’s Rutherford depot, which opened in 1965 and has “reached the end of its working life”.
A total of 80 Ausgrid staff from Maitland and Rutherford have been relocated to the new Beresfield depot.
The company said the new depot was established to help cater for the future demand on the electricity network from population growth.
Ausgrid CEO Richard Gross officially opened the Beresfield depot on Thursday, saying the purpose-built facility was designed to bring the Maitland and Rutherford teams together under the one roof to work more efficiently.
“And for our customers that means we will be able to provide improved responses during emergencies,” Mr Gross said. “The depot will provide our employees with a new, modern and fit for purpose facility to better support our customers right across the Lower Hunter and Newcastle.”
The site was chosen due to its proximity to major roads and the New England Highway to enable crews to respond rapidly to call-outs.
“A century ago this site was home to a Hunter coal mine and now it will once again be a key part of the network helping power homes and businesses across the region’, Mr Gross said.
Construction of the new depot kicked off in February and was completed by October.
Ausgrid is the largest distributor of electricity on Australia’s east coast, providing power to more than 1.7 million customers.
