Contestable works

Contestable works are the elements of a subdivision or estate's electricity infrastructure that can be competitively tendered. 

That means you can appoint your own recognised contractor to design and construct them, rather than using CitiPower or Powercor directly. 

This pathway is typically used for greenfield subdivisions and larger residential, industrial, or commercial developments.

In these projects customers choose to manage the delivery of contestable services for their project. These services typically include:

• Project management
• Master planning
• Overhead and underground design, including surveying and drafting services
• Construction, which includes the provision of all materials and as constructed plans.

CitiPower and Powercor still manage the non-contestable elements of your project, including approvals, network augmentation, and tie-ins to the existing network.

Applications are made via mySupply under Option 2.

Not sure this is the right pathway? If you simply need us to connect your development to the network without managing your own contractor, you may need Non-contestable works instead.

Recognised contractors

Customers are required to engage recognised contractors to deliver contestable services. A list of recognised contractors is in the document library below. 

For information on how to apply to be a recognised contractor, visit our Suppliers and contractor forms, documents and reports page.

Technical standards

Design and construction of the electrical infrastructure supplying your development must comply with our technical standards. Where no CitiPower and Powercor standard exists, use the relevant Victorian Electricity Supply Industry (VESI) standard instead.

For more information, see our Technical standards and work practices form.

Current projects

Powercor's network covers some of Victoria's highest-growth residential development areas. Delivering timely connection services is a priority for us.

We're committed to continuous improvement. That means finding better ways to streamline our processes and help developers build quality electrical assets.

In 2021, we set up a customer consultative committee to strengthen ties with the development industry. It focuses on greenfield developments, giving developers, contractors and consultants a direct line to CitiPower and Powercor. The committee also tracks our performance against customer service standards set by the Essential Services Commission of Victoria.

You can find the latest minutes and reports in the document section below. 

Tie-in

Currently, a request for tie-in is generally submitted to Powercor with a signed Certificate of Practical Completion. Often, Powercor doesn’t have visibility of when to expect this submission and we reactively plan for an asset to be tied into the electricity grid. Powercor currently targets tie-in to be completed within 10 weeks from practical completion.

Following feedback from industry Powercor is committed to reducing our target turnaround time from 10 weeks to 4 weeks (or as otherwise agreed for a development).

Achieving this outcome requires a few process changes effective immediately:

• Tie-in requests shall be submitted to the Project Delivery Lead at the same time as a request for Final Audit
• Both Powercor and the developer commit to an agreed delivery plan which includes a forecast Date of Practical Completion and Customer Target Date (the date by which a development will be tied in).
• Notify Powercor immediately if you can no longer deliver to the agreed plan.

More information is available here.

Escalations and complaints

If you have any concerns or urgency regarding a current development, please email urd@powercor.com.au.