Bushfires pose a risk to life, property and the environment in rural and urban areas throughout NSW. They can be caused by incidents like lightning strikes, sparks from farm machinery and electrical incidents such as fallen powerlines.
Overhead powerlines, which aren't inspected and maintained can clash or be brought down by strong winds, falling trees and branches, or broken poles and fittings, creating a serious safety and bushfire risk. Just as EnergyAustralia maintains the powerlines and poles that it owns, customers with privately-owned powerlines are required to do the same.
As our customer, you have a legal obligation under the Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act 2004 to maintain your electrical installation, which includes your powerlines and poles, to ensure that they are free from any defects that may cause a fire or any other safety hazard. This may include frayed wires, damaged poles or trees too close to powerlines. If your powerlines or poles cause injury or damage to property, you may be held legally responsible.
What to look for:
- Clashing wires
Avoid uninsulated wires clashing in windy weather. Fitting 'spreaders' (which keep the lines separated) is one solution. Ensure only a licensed electrical contractor undertakes this work.
- Slack wires
If one wire hangs lower than others or wires are slack, they are more likely to clash. You will need to engage a licensed electrical contractor to repair these wires.
- Damaged wires
If the insulation which protects some wires is missing or damaged, the exposed wire may be live. Contact with this could be fatal, and vegetation touching the wire in this area is more likely to start a fire. Insulated wires should be replaced, not repaired, and only by a licensed electrical contractor.
- Trees near powerlines
Trees and other vegetation too close to powerlines may cause fires or other safety risks such as fallen live wires. Trees need to be trimmed to provide a safety clearance from powerlines ( in bush fire prone areas, 2.5metres around uninsulated wires and one metre around insulated wires), as well as allowing for regrowth. All overhanging limbs and branches should also be removed in bush fire prone areas. Tree trimming near live powerlines must only be done by an authorised tree trimmer.
- Termites or wood rot
Termites and wood rot can cause serious structural damage to your private poles. All termite infested poles must be treated by a registered pest controller. Unsafe poles must be replaced by a licenced electrical contractor.
Is your property bushfire prone?
Your local council can tell you if your property has been classified as bushfire prone. For more information contact the NSW Rural Fire Service on 1800 654 443 or 02 8741 5555 or visit www.rfs.nsw.gov.au
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Your are responsible for:
- Arranging for a licensed electrical contractor to carry out periodic safety checks of your electrical wiring in your premises.
- Arranging an annual inspection (in bush fire prone areas) before the start of the bush fire danger season (usually 1 October) - checking for defects on your private powerlines and poles.
- Keeping trees well clear of your powerlines – arranging for an authorised tree trimmer to trim vegetation that is too close to you private powerlines.
- Regularly organising a detailed inspection of your private powerlines and poles (including below ground line inspection and treatment) by qualified persons.
- Promptly repairing any identified defects (such as broken wires or damaged insulators) using a licensed electrical contractor or your choice.
- Using only qualified people to undertake inspections, repairs or installations or tree trimming near powerlines.
- In instances where no action has been taken to address an identified bushfire risk, EnergyAustralia may need to disconnect supply for safety reasons.
EnergyAustralia is responsible for:
- Providing detailed information to customers on electrical safety and bushfire risk management (via brochures, customer notifications, our website and our Tree Safety Management Plan.
- Notifying landowners/occupiers of defects EnergyAustralia knows about on their private powerlines (the ultimate responsibility however remains with the landowner/occupier).
- Maintaining safe distances between EnergyAustralia powerlines and trees on public property in our distribution area (through tree trimming and vegetation management programs).
- Assisting customers in identifying their private powerlines and poles.
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For further information:
- For more information click on the links below. If you have any questions after reviewing these documents, contact EnergyAustralia on 13 15 35
- For advice on bushfire prevention, contact the NSW Rural Fire Service - 1800 654 443 or 02 8741 5555 (www.rfs.nsw.gov.au)
- To check the currency of licenses, contact the Office of Fair Trading - 13 32 20 (www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au)
- For a list of licensed electrical contractors who can inspect or repair powerlines, look under 'electrical contractors' in the Yellow Pages (www.yellowpages.com.au)
Click on the links below to download related documents:
Visit our technical document library on the Network section of our website to view the related Network standards outlined below.
- Network Standard NS 179 - Vegetation Safety Clearances
- Network Standard NS 145 – Pole Inspection and Treatment Procedures
Companies offering pole inspection and treatment services
List of qualified tree-trimmers
Trees & Powerlines
EnergyAustralia's Tree Safety Management Plan (1.3MB)
ISSC31 Guidelines for the Management of Private Overhead Powerlines (177KB) |
