Line down or sparking after a storm?
Treat it as live and keep everyone at least 8 metres back. Call 000 if anyone's in danger, then Western Power on 13 13 51. Nobody, including an electrician, should go near it until Western Power has made it safe.
Duncraig in brief
A mid-1970s suburb
The land was mostly undeveloped until the 1960s. The bulk of Duncraig was built in the mid-1970s, with schools and the library opening from 1974.
Overhead lines for years yet
A City of Joondalup council motion in August 2025 described Duncraig as one of the older southern suburbs still served by overhead lines. Western Power advised the existing network has at least 10 years of expected life left.
Family homes, mostly owned
At the 2021 Census, 91.8% of occupied homes were separate houses and 68.2% had four or more bedrooms. 41.2% were owned outright and only 11.9% were rented.
Solar in 6023
The Clean Energy Regulator counts 3,901 small-scale solar systems in postcode 6023, with 433 solar batteries recorded from July 2025 to September 2026.
Why overhead lines matter to you
Wind and branches are the weak point. The state's underground power program started in 1996 because a severe storm in 1994 caused major disruption, and Western Power later put 80 per cent of the failures down to trees and branches falling on lines.
If the line into your house sags, sparks or pulls away from the wall, keep clear and report it to Western Power. From the meter box inwards, the wiring and switchboard are a job for a licensed electrician.
The board in a 1970s house
A board from the mid-1970s may still have rewireable fuses and one safety switch, or none. WA expects at least two RCDs covering every power point and lighting circuit before a home is sold, and on Western Power's network, adding circuits means a circuit breaker main switch.
Big houses also draw more. Ducted cooling, a pool pump and a second fridge running together on a hot afternoon is when a tired board shows its age. Western Power's standard supply is 63 amps on single phase, and the contractor has to apply for more if new load would go past it.
If we lived in Duncraig
We'd plan as if the poles are staying, because for at least a decade they are. That means a switchboard with full safety switch protection now, rather than waiting on an underground project, and 13 13 51 saved in every phone in the house.
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.