Mine and Power Station Ute Electrics Around Collie

This guide is for contractors, maintenance crews and fleet managers running light vehicles at the coal mines and power stations around Collie, and for anyone buying a ute that has come off one of those sites. It covers site standards, the WA rules for beacons and extra lights, the daily drive in from Bunbury, and how to keep the wiring reliable in dust and cold.

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Collie's working fleet

Collie has been Western Australia's coal town since production started in the late 1890s, and it remains the State's only coalfield. Two coal mines still operate near the town, and three coal-fired power stations sit close by at Muja, Collie and Bluewaters. The State Government has scheduled the Collie power station to close in 2027 and Muja by 2029.

All of that means a large fleet of light vehicles: shift utes, maintenance vehicles, supervisors' 4WDs and contractor trucks. Many of them run between Collie and homes in Bunbury, Australind and Eaton every day, which puts them on the Coalfields Highway as well as on site roads. As the power stations wind down and new projects start, many of these vehicles will be refitted, moved to new jobs or sold.

The site sets the standard

There is no single specification for a mine or power station ute. Each operator, and often each site, sets its own light vehicle standard, and that standard decides what must be fitted and how it must work. Mines in WA operate under the Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022, and each site manages its own vehicle risks under that framework. In practice, the details come from the site, not from a general rule.

Always get the current written specification from the site or the company that will use the vehicle before any work begins. A ute set up for one site may not pass at another, and a spec can change between visits. Items that commonly appear include:

• An amber flashing beacon, usually roof-mounted.
• A tall flag on a flexible mast, sometimes with a light at the tip.
• A reversing alarm and extra reverse lighting.
• A battery isolator or master switch in a set position.
• A UHF radio, often with a fixed aerial and its own fused supply.
• An in-vehicle monitoring system and the power supply it needs.

Beacons and the drive home

Amber flashing lights are tightly controlled on WA public roads. WA's transport department lists vehicles that can fit amber warning lights without applying, and vehicles owned or operated by a mining company and used mainly at a mine are on that list. The department is clear, though, that this does not authorise the lights for use on public roads. Other vehicles can apply for approval using the department's form E178C.

For a Collie shift ute, that means the beacon should be off once you leave the site gate and head onto the Coalfields Highway. Wire it through a clearly labelled switch with an indicator the driver can see, so it isn't left running by accident. Whether a power station or a contractor's vehicle falls under the same exemption depends on who owns it and how it's used, so ask the department if you're unsure. Check the current rules before you rely on them.

Light bars and work lights

Light bars are common on Collie utes, both for site work and for dark winter mornings on forest roads. On public roads they must meet the WA rules in the department's bulletin on additional and optional vehicle lights (IB-132). In summary, you can fit up to four additional driving lights, a light bar counts as one only if all its LEDs work together, and every driving light must switch off when you dip to low beam. A single bar must be horizontal and centred.

Work lights are treated differently. They need an illuminated, labelled switch so the driver can see they're on, and forward-facing light bars used as work lights are only allowed when mounted below the driver's eye level. Wire driving lights through a relay triggered from the high beam circuit, so they can't stay on when you dip. Our guide on how to wire a 12V relay shows the layout.

Dust, cold and corrugations

Collie isn't a coastal town, so salt is rarely the problem. Fine dust from site roads and forest tracks is. It works into plugs, switches and the backs of lamp housings, and it holds moisture once winter rain arrives. Vibration from corrugations loosens battery clamps, fatigues cable at unsupported points and chafes insulation where it passes through metal.

Build each circuit to survive that. Use sealed connectors, heat shrink over every joint, grommets at every hole and conduit along the chassis. Support cable every few hundred millimetres. Collie's winter nights average around 4°C in July, so a battery that is already weakened by summer heat often fails on the first cold morning. Load test batteries before winter rather than waiting for a no-start in the car park at the start of a shift.

Second batteries and isolators

Radios, monitoring units and fridges can flatten a starting battery when a ute sits between shifts. A second battery charged through a DC-DC charger keeps those loads separate and copes with the smart alternators fitted to many current utes. Our guide on choosing a DC-DC charger or isolator explains the difference. Check the site spec first, as some sites set rules for how accessories are powered and isolated.

If the isolator cuts the starting battery, it must be rated for the full starting current and fitted where the spec says. Label it clearly, and make sure anyone driving the vehicle knows where it is.

Buying an ex-site ute

As Collie's fleet changes, more ex-site utes will turn up for sale around Bunbury. They can be good value, but the extra wiring often isn't. Gear is removed in a hurry, cables are cut and taped, and old circuits are left live behind the dash. That can drain the battery, blow fuses or hide faults.

Before you rely on one for family trips, have an auto electrician check what's left. Remove redundant circuits back to the source, make sure any remaining beacon can't be switched on by accident, and confirm that any light bar meets the public road rules. Our Collie page lists other common local jobs.

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Questions Bunbury drivers ask

What does a Collie mine ute need to have fitted?

It depends on the site. Each operator sets its own light vehicle standard, and sites often differ. Common items are an amber beacon, a flag, a reversing alarm, a battery isolator and a UHF radio. Get the current written spec from the site before any work starts, rather than copying another vehicle that worked somewhere else.

Can I leave my beacon on along the Coalfields Highway?

Generally not. WA's transport department lets mining company vehicles used mainly at a mine fit amber flashing lights without applying, but says the lights are not authorised on public roads. Switch the beacon off when you leave site. If your vehicle needs a beacon on public roads for a genuine reason, check the department's current rules about applying.

Is my light bar legal for the drive to work?

It can be, if it follows WA's rules in IB-132. It must be white, front-facing, horizontal and centred, and it must switch off when you dip to low beam. You can have up to four extra driving lights, and a bar counts as one if all its LEDs work together. Read the current bulletin to confirm the details.

Why does my site ute's battery go flat over a weekend?

Radios, monitoring systems and fridges often draw power while the ute is parked. An old battery or poor charging makes it worse. A second battery charged by a DC-DC charger, and an isolator used correctly at the end of shift, usually solve it. If not, have the parasitic drain tested.

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