Fewer poles, more play: Napier’s Park Island power lines go underground in $2.6m upgrade

Crews 'undergrounding' long-standing power lines at Park Island in Napier.

A popular Hawke’s Bay park and sports field is expanding its playability with the removal of dozens of power poles in a multi-year, million-dollar project.

Napier City Council is teaming up with regional power lines company Unison Networks to move power lines underground in Park Island over the next 18 months.

The Park Island Master Plan was adopted in 2017 by the council, setting a clear vision for sport and recreation needs in the area.

Napier City Council said ‘undergrounding’ the lines is the next step in supporting those needs and will create greater flexibility for future field layouts, allowing more efficient use of the site as demand for sports facilities at the park continues to rise.

Work has begun and will be completed in two stages to minimise impact on sports clubs and “make the most of the dry summer conditions”.

Stage 1 (November 2025–March 2026): Conduit pipes are installed beneath park grounds. Work will pause during the 2026 winter sports season.

Stage 2 (Summer 2026/2027): Electrical cables will be fed through the conduits, power poles removed and reinstatement work completed.

Construction will be completed between 8am-6pm, Monday to Friday.

All work sites will be securely fenced when unattended and no residents will be impacted.

The allocated budget for this project is $2.575 million.

Napier Mayor Richard McGrath said people loved Park Island and undergrounding the powerlines will transform the area.

“What we want to do here is work with our partner Unison to make sure as much of this space as possible is used.

“It’s about being as efficient as we can with our public spaces and getting as much out of them as we possibly can.

“This gives us much more flexibility for what we can do at Park Island in the future.”

Jason Larkin, Unison Group general manager customer, commercial and regulatory, said Unison’s electricity network had supported the area for decades, and it was supporting the council as the park continues to grow.

“While work is underway, please keep clear of fenced areas, follow all safety instructions on site, and thank you for your patience and understanding as we complete this important work.”

Larkin said the project reflected Unison’s commitment to supporting junior sport and community wellbeing “over many years”.