If you’re planning on doing any digging, you should check the location of underground cables before you start.

The beforeUdig service is the first point of call for any individual or contractor requiring information on underground pipes and cables in New Zealand. Anyone can access the service, which allows users to obtain plans from a number of asset owners – including Wellington Electricity – simply by making one enquiry.

Get reference maps

Visit www.beforeudig.co.nz to request free maps indicating the approximate location of underground services. In most cases, plans will be automatically emailed to you straight away. However, if the proposed dig area is within 1.5 metres of critical underground cables, we'll need to supervise the excavation. In these cases, we'll be in touch within two working days following your request and you might need to make further arrangements, so make sure you plan ahead.

Mark out the service locations

Use the reference maps as a guide for locating and marking out all cables and pipes within your worksite. We remind you of your responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, whereby you must establish the location of underground services before commencing excavation.

Wellington Electricity does not provide the services required to identify and mark out any underground cabling or wires near the site you’re proposing to dig. You are responsible for confirming the location of our underground cabling and wires within your work site before you commence excavation. To do this, you’ll need to engage a third party contractor to provide you with mark-out/location services (at your cost).

You can find a list of qualified service providers who may be able to assist on beforeUdig's Certified Locators page.

_{Wellington Electricity will, where available, provide you and/or your contractor with reference maps and plans. Wellington Electricity and its related companies take no responsibility for the provision of the mark-out services and are not liable to you or your contractor should anything go wrong in the performance of the mark-out services (whether an issue arises from the reference maps and plans provided by Wellington Electricity or otherwise). The accuracy and completeness of Wellington Electricity’s reference maps and plans cannot be guaranteed and Wellington Electricity and its related companies do not accept any responsibility, arising in any way, for any errors or omissions from any reference maps and plans provided by Wellington Electricity, or for any lack of accuracy or completeness of them.}

Please also note the following additional advice contained in WorkSafe's Guide for Safety with Underground Services: “In conjunction with location devices and plans, trial holes by careful hand excavation are essential before any excavation is commenced. Hand digging must continue until all of the services have been found.  If there is any doubt as to where the service is located, stop work and consult with the service owner.” Also see WorkSafe's Excavation Safety guideline.

⚠️ Do not dig within 5 metres of a power pole without a Close Approach Consent. Depending on the depth of excavations, you may need additional pole supports to prevent the pole from collapsing. We can advise you and will provide supervision in some cases.

Related Documents

Working Safely in the Road Handbook

A useful handbook published by the New Zealand Utilities Advisory Group, of which Wellington Electricity is a member.

1.7 MB  |  pdf

Download

ENG-127 Excavation Guide

1.1 MB  |  pdf

Download