What's specific to Melton
A 1970s satellite city
Melton grew from 4491 people in 1971 to 18,055 in 1981, and the area was declared a satellite city in 1974. Victorian Places says the landscape is now dominated by brick housing, some of it McMansion sized.
Hot, dry plains
Melton sits on flat volcanic plains in the Otway Ranges rain shadow, averaging 486.6 mm of rain a year, with a strong urban heat island. Melton City Council says the city is prone to heatwaves, fires and bushfires, storms and floods.
Renters and long-time owners
In the original township (population 7,953 in 2021), 34.4% of occupied homes were rented and 32.5% were owned outright.
Powercor's Melton substation
Powercor's Melton zone substation supplies the town and reaches into Mt Cottrell, Deer Park, Tarneit and Caroline Springs. Powercor has flown helicopters over the lines here for bushfire checks. Faults: 13 24 12.
Summer is when Melton's wiring gets tested
Air conditioners are big loads. On a 1970s board, adding one can mean nuisance tripping or a circuit running hotter than it should. An electrician sizes a circuit for the unit and checks the board can carry it before it goes in.
Winter's getting busier as well. Powercor reports more households heating and driving on electricity, and it has been upgrading low voltage lines where customers saw voltage dips at peak times.
Homes from the 1970s also carry the asbestos question: the Victorian Government's Asbestos Hub says a home built or renovated before 1990 likely contains it, and switchboard backing is a common place.
Heatwave or storm: what to do right now
If a storm brings a line down, stay more than 8 to 10 metres away and call Powercor on 13 24 12, or 000 if anyone's in danger. If you smell burning near the switchboard or an air conditioner, switch off at the main switch if it's safe to reach, and call 000 if there's smoke or fire.
What we'd do in Melton
If the board is original to a 1970s house and you've added cooling since, we'd have it looked at before the next heatwave. A properly sized circuit for each big air conditioner beats finding the weak spot on the hottest afternoon of the year.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.