Energy companies cautioned over bushfire threat from vegetation close to power lines

Victoria’s energy watchdog has put electricity companies on notice over their obligation to clear foliage near power lines in bushfire prone regions, warning any failure to act could be catastrophic.

A wet and cooler start to summer has delayed Victoria’s fire season but the state’s energy watchdog has put power companies on notice, warning not enough has been done to mitigate one of the causes of catastrophic blazes.

Energy Safe Victoria has been targeting high bushfire risk areas – including the state’s southwest, Colac Otways region, Mornington Peninsula, Dandenong and Macedon Ranges – to ensure power companies have been maintaining a safe distance between vegetation and powerlines.

But it believes that not enough has been done to reduce the risk ahead of this year’s fire season.

Chief executive Leanne Hughson said it was “simply inexcusable” for power companies to not take measures to clear foliage in hazardous bushfire risk areas.

A bushfire in the Bunyip State Forest heading towards the high voltage power lines. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

Failing to do so, puts people and their properties at risk, Ms Hughson said.

“Electricity companies have a legal obligation to keep vegetation clear of power lines and it is important they do this to reduce the threat of bushfires,” she said.

“We know some of the devastating Black Saturday fires were caused by power lines and we know that favourable weather conditions over the past year have seen substantial vegetation growth.”

She said inspectors had been checking vegetation clearances undertaken by electricity companies and had seen some improvement, but noted “companies could be doing better”.

“It is vital that electricity companies keep improving their line inspections, and we won’t hesitate to take enforcement action if they don’t live up to their responsibilities to help keep Victorians safe,” she said.

In October last year, United Energy was forced to pay more than $93,000 in fines and costs after pleading guilty in the Magistrate’s Court for failing to maintain vegetation around power lines.

In sentencing, the Magistrate said: “This cannot and should not ever happen again”.

Power companies say they are increasingly investing in vegetation management programs to maintain the network.

An AusNet spokeswoman said the company’s first priority was safety, and that $50m was invested in vegetation management programs each year.

Bushfire at Labertouche in the Bunyip State Forest in 2009. Picture: Alex Coppel

“Over the past 12 months we have inspected 314,000 spans on our network (the area between each pole) including all high bushfire risk areas, cleared 72,000 spans of vegetation, and removed 5500 hazardous trees to improve safety ahead of bushfire season,” she said.

AusNet recently completed work on its $500m Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiter (REFCLs) bushfire mitigation program.

“Over the last seven years AusNet has installed this leading-edge technology in high bushfire-risk areas across the electricity distribution network.

“AusNet’s 22 REFCLs cover more than 40,000 square kilometres, protecting over 18,000 kilometres of electrical power lines and 300,000 AusNet customers.”

A Powercor spokesman said its crews had cut more than 360,000 trees and shrubs away from more than 40,000 power line spans.

Crews had also inspected more than 240,000 poles and reinforced or replaced more than 7000, he said.

“Powercor works year-round to make sure the network is prepared for the extreme summer months,” he said.