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Wangaratta, Victoria

Electricians in WangarattaA textile town's houses, brought up to date.

Much of Wangaratta was built after the war, when the textile mills brought workers and the population doubled in fifteen years. Those houses are why switchboard upgrades and safety switches top the local list. Four waterways that can flood the city, and AusNet's bushfire equipment, round out the picture. If we have a licence-checked electrician near you who does your kind of job, we'll pass it on.

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The sandstone Holy Trinity Cathedral in Wangaratta with its timber bell tower, on a clear autumn day.
Photo: Bahnfrend, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

A textile town's houses

After World War II, local co-operatives and the Victorian Housing Commission built homes in Wangaratta, mainly for textile workers. The Commission's estate lies south of the city, near the mills. The population doubled in the first 15 postwar years to over 13,000, and Wangaratta became a city in 1959.

Houses from that era were wired for a few lights, a radio and maybe a fridge. Many have been upgraded since, but some still run on the original board. Victoria's Asbestos Hub says a home built or renovated before 1990 likely contains asbestos, and switchboard backing boards are a common spot.

Signs a post-war Wangaratta board is due

  • Ceramic fuses you pull out, rather than switches.
  • No safety switches, which you'd spot by their test button.
  • A dark backing board behind the fuses. Don't touch it, and mention it when you book.
  • Fuses or breakers that go when the heater and kettle run together.
  • No spare space for the circuit you want to add.

Wangaratta's waterways and network

Four ways to flood

The Rural City of Wangaratta names four waterways that can flood the city: the Ovens River, the King River, One Mile Creek and Three Mile Creek. If water reaches power points, appliances or the meter box, leave the power off until a licensed electrician has checked it.

AusNet Services: 13 17 99

Wangaratta is on AusNet's network. Ring 13 17 99 for faults and fallen lines, and stay more than 8 to 10 metres from a line on the ground, as Energy Safe Victoria advises.

A REFCL at the substation

The Wangaratta zone substation is one of 22 AusNet sites fitted with a Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiter. It limits the energy of a powerline fault so it can't ignite a fire. Victoria required them in high bushfire risk areas after the 2009 Bushfires Royal Commission, and the rollout was completed in October 2023.

Units, townhouses and rentals

At the 2021 Census, 13.9% of Wangaratta homes were semi-detached houses, terraces or townhouses, and 27.9% were rented. If you're a landlord, the 2-yearly electrical safety check now applies to every Victorian rental, whenever the lease started, and it must follow section 4 of AS/NZS 3019.

Before a lease is signed, the renter has to be told the date of the last check and anything still outstanding from it. Electrical work for landlords puts the rules in one place.

Where we'd start in Wangaratta

In a post-war house, we'd book a switchboard check before any renovation, air conditioning or induction cooktop, and flag any dark backing board up front. If the house sits near one of the creeks, we'd ask the electrician which outdoor gear could sit higher. Then 13 17 99 goes into every phone in the house.

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Questions

Straight answers.

Who do I call when the power goes out in Wangaratta?

AusNet Services on 13 17 99, or check its Outage Tracker. If it's only your place, look for a tripped safety switch first. Sparks, smoke or injury: 000.

Does my old Wangaratta house need a new switchboard?

If it still has ceramic fuses and no safety switches, we'd say yes before adding anything big. If it has breakers and safety switches already, it may just need room for a new circuit. An electrician can tell you after a short look.

What happens to my rental's switchboard under Victorian law?

Since 29 March 2023, Victorian rentals have needed circuit breakers and safety switches on the power and lighting circuits. Some older fuse boards need a full replacement to get there.

Ready for a sparky in Wangaratta?

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Related help

Helpful next

Old fuse boxes and ceramic fusesCeramic fuses you pull out and rewire? What an old fuse box means and what replaces it.Asbestos switchboardsDark or grey panel behind the fuses? How to spot asbestos without touching it, and who removes it.Electrical rules for landlordsWhat landlords must do in each state: electrical checks, smoke alarms, safety switches and repairs.Storm, flood and surge damageAfter a storm, flood or lightning strike: what not to touch, who to call, and how the power gets back on safely.Electricians in VictoriaRECs, Energy Safe Victoria's registers, the COES, the 2-yearly rental check and the five Victorian networks.

Where this information comes from

Rules change, so check with your state regulator if something matters to your job. How we write and check these pages.

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