Couple of points

Originally posted by pintohoo: ↑

1.
A 2020 report by AusNet Services — the organisation charged with maintaining the state's transmission system — found the average 500kV transmission structure was built 41.4 years ago.
It also showed that about a third of the state's transmission towers are now approaching their 60th birthdays.

So, nope - not Albo's fault or Dan's fault ------- just a whole system fault - decades of not keeping up with things ----- decades of not investing - decades of profit making and cut cut cut ---------- no nation was ever built on cut cut cut -------------------- don't champion government low debt - champion investing in a nation - and use debt - it's ok

2.
''In 2020, Sydney power company Ausgrid did the numbers on undergrounding its entire network — which only takes up a portion of NSW — ringing in the final cost at somewhere between $72-130 billion, and taking 40 years to complete.
"It costs about $2.5 million per kilometre to put wires underground, which is 15 times more expensive than the cost of above-ground wiring," the company said.''

and there is the problem -------------- Ozzies look at the cost first - always the cost ---------- never the benefits

how much does it cost to shut down entire communities for days to weeks ------- over and over and over and over?

in the end ------ you need power and atm, one needs it moved about -------- there's a cost to it ---

but, there's a bigger cost to it when wind blows down your old infrastructure --------- if it blows down things often enough - then, the investment in underground and the like --------- begins to look cheap

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-15/weather-power-lines-electricity-fall-over-explainer/103471752

I'd also be asking exactly why it costs 2.5 mil to put lines underground ------ it costs very little to dig a trench - and the wires can be the same surely - just wrapped in different kinds of protection ----------- is that really a big deal - 2.5 million per km?

last time I put things in trenches in kilometres ------------ it wasn't anywhere near 2.5 m per km --------- but, yes, cable is expensive ----------------- but, so is cable strung between big poles

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Why so expensive? Australia, through successive governments ably supported by the ACTU has not wanted to “race to the bottom.” As a result Aus is a very very very expensive place to build anything. Look at the cost of the roads being built around the traps.

Decisions has consequences.

I note that the cost of construction is never discussed by the political parties. Even with regards to the housing issues at present only supply is being discussed. With the costs of construction in Aus houses if built are still far beyond the reach of a very substantial portion of the electorate.