Fairland relies on generator amid vandalism woes
Repeated vandalism and shortage of spare transformers have slowed repairs in the suburb, leading to the need to run a generator for weeks to keep the lights on in Fairland.
City Power blames vandalism and supply-chain delays as being behind the prolonged reliance on a generator at the Cornelis Street substation in Fairland, where residents have faced ongoing uncertainty since a 500kVA transformer failed in late December.
The transformer, which previously failed due to insulation breakdown last year, was vandalised on December 27, 2025, triggering another outage. With no suitable replacement immediately available, City Power deployed a generator to keep the area supplied. “This intervention was necessary to ensure residents were not left without electricity for a prolonged period,” said spokesperson Isaac Mangena.
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According to Mangena, no appropriate units were available at the Hursthill Depot, City Power’s rotable stores, or its main warehouse. “This was partly due to the specific technical specifications required for the unit, as well as procurement lead times.”
City Power estimates an eight to 10 week lead time for the replacement transformer, after which installation and commissioning should take an additional two weeks. Magena confirmed the procurement process has been expedited and added that installation will begin immediately upon delivery.
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The site has been repeatedly targeted despite boosted patrols and collaborations with private security and local neighbourhood groups, with its proximity to the freeway making it more accessible to criminals. Mangena also warned that the generator itself is at risk. “Given its location in the same vicinity as the previously vandalised transformer, the generator is also vulnerable to theft and vandalism.”
Although City Power has increased surveillance, law-enforcement co-operation, and infrastructure hardening, Mangena stressed that community involvement remains essential. “Community vigilance is one of the most effective deterrents against infrastructure-related crime.” He urged residents to report suspicious activity around substations.
City Power said they are implementing faster sourcing of critical spares, improved maintenance, and proactive fault detection to avoid future shortages and delays.
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