Western Australia is growing and so is the demand for electricity. Between 2015 and 2025, our population increased from 2.6 million to around 3 million. Baldivis has been at the heart of this growth, consistently ranking among WA’s fastest-growing communities.

More people means more demand for electricity. Right now, the network is working hard to keep up, but it’s reaching its limits. Without proactive measures, capacity constraints are likely to intensify, and reliability risks would increase.

Planning ahead now means we can deliver a network that supports safe, efficient and reliable power to the Baldivis community.

Currently, Baldivis relies mainly on the Waikiki zone substation, supported by Meadow Springs. The three closest zone substations in Waikiki, Meadow Springs, and Mandurah — along with the distribution feeders between them — are already operating at or above capacity during peak demand periods.

Western Power has explored solutions to meet the growing energy needs of Baldivis and surrounding communities by expanding network capacity.

We looked at several options, explained in more detail in the Options Paper. These included:

• Increasing capacity at the Waikiki zone substation
• Building a new zone substation in Baldivis
• Implementing non-network solutions, such as batteries.

After careful analysis, building a new substation at Baldivis was proposed in our regulatory test submission as the most cost-effective and reliable long-term solution to:

• Relieve the existing Waikiki substation capacity constraints
• Ensure there is adequate capacity to meet future demand as more people move into the area
• Improve the reliability of electricity supply for everyone in Baldivis and nearby suburbs.

From 24 November to 19 December 2025, prior to making our regulatory submission to the Economic Regulation Authority (ERA), we invited feedback on:

• The network capacity expansion options considered, as outlined in the Options Paper
• Our preferred option to establish a new zone substation at 60 Pike Road, Baldivis
• Any other ideas the community believed we should explore.

The ERA has confirmed that Western Power’s proposal for a new zone substation in Baldivis has met regulatory requirements. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback during this process.

The project will now move to the next stage, including development of the business case and further assessment. Engagement with residents and stakeholders will continue as design development progresses, with more information shared in the coming months.

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