Ausgrid begins work on new NSW depot

Ausgrid staff and members of the Mainbrace Constructions team

Ausgrid has begun construction of a new depot at Artarmon that will house staff from four existing sites.

Chief operating officer Trevor Armstrong said the decision to build the new facility came about after Transport for NSW acquired Ausgridโ€™s Chatswood depot for the Sydney Metro project.

โ€œAusgrid decided to take the opportunity to consolidate our sites across North Sydney to ensure we can deliver more efficient service to our customers,โ€ he said.

Existing Ausgrid sites at Chatswood, Gore Hill, Pymble and St Leonards will be combined in the new single depot on Broadcast Way in Artarmon.

โ€œThe Pymble depot was bought in 1926 and is more than 90 years old, the Gore Hill and Chatswood sites are almost 50 years old and all have reached the end of their working life,โ€ Mr Armstrong said.

โ€œThis new facility will provide modern and fit for purpose facilities for more than 150 staff and relocating to one site will allow us to leverage that scale and improve responses to outages and emergencies.โ€

The location was selected due to its size and proximity to major arterials roads such as the M1 and Warringah Freeway, which will provide easier access for crews to respond during emergencies in the CBD.

The new depot is part of a wider program of investment to plan for the future needs of the electricity network and will also cater to future demand from population growth on the Lower North Shore.

Construction of the depot is set to be completed by mid to late 2019.

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