Melville's homes and network
Named for the river
The suburb takes its name from Melville Water on the Swan River, first used here for the Melville Park Estate in 1896.
North and South are done
Melville South was converted to underground power in Round Five of the State Underground Power Program and Melville North in Round Six. The City of Melville says most of the city already has underground power.
Project 151A has the votes
The Melville and Palmyra West survey ran from 20 April to 17 May 2026, and 72.2% of 774 valid respondents supported it, above the 50% needed for the project to proceed.
Owner-occupied family homes
At the 2021 Census, 78.0% of homes were separate houses, 44.5% were owned with a mortgage and 38.7% outright. Only 15.5% were rented.
Which situation is your street in?
Already underground. Nothing changes outside, and the jobs are the ordinary ones: an older board, more power points, air con or a charger.
In the 151A area. The project area sits largely between Canning Highway, Justinian Street, Leach Highway and Petra Street. Western Power and the City will explain what happens at each property. Your switchboard and wiring stay your responsibility, so it's worth having them checked before the crews arrive.
Not sure. The City of Melville's project page lets you enter your address and check it against the boundary.
Getting the house ready
An older board is the main thing to look at. Fuses you rewire, no safety switches, or a board with no room left are all reasons to upgrade, and on Western Power's network any added circuit capacity needs a circuit breaker main switch.
If you're planning a charger, induction cooking or a heat pump in the next few years, tell the electrician now. The standard supply is 63 amps on single phase, and it's easier to plan for the load once than to discover the limit later.
Where we'd start in Melville
We'd check the address against the 151A boundary first. If you're inside it, we'd book a switchboard check now, while there's time to plan, and do any upgrade before the underground work rather than squeezing it in afterwards.
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.