Fire failure: Trees left to clash with powerlines and spark bushfires

The repeated failure of distribution companies to clear vegetation from powerlines has left Victorians at risk of major bushfires.

Electricity distribution companies are failing to keep up with clearing three years’ of regrowth that is clashing with powerlines.

Victoria’s electricity distribution companies are struggling to keep vegetation clear of their powerlines, as they are overwhelmed by a third wet year of La Nina driven regrowth.

Energy Safe Victoria has just laid 24 charges against United Energy for allowing trees to grow too close to powerlines in high bushfire risk across the Mornington Peninsula.

But its most recent safety performance report on Victorian electricity networks from October states that “since 2018-2019, ESV has observed progressively declining performance by AusNet Services, Powercor and United Energy in clearing vegetation around electric lines.

“This is particularly concerning in Victoria’s hazardous bushfire risk areas (HBRA), where escalating vegetation noncompliance rates increases the likelihood of bushfires starting when trees touch bare powerlines,” ESV reported.

A downed powerline at Mickelham which eventually sparked a fire.

It was isolated fires sparked by powerlines that the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission found were responsible for at least 119 of the 173 deaths on that day.

Yet ESV highlights in its latest safety report that “despite previous assurances Powercor and United Energy have made to ESV, their performance continued to decline in 2021-2022. HBRA noncompliance rates continued to rise.

“While ESV saw improved performance from AusNet Services in HBRAs this year (2021-22), further improvement is still needed.

But all up ESV’s report states the power distributors’ performance was “unacceptable”.

“Fortunately, Victoria has experienced mild conditions over the last three fire danger periods and this has reduced the risk of a bushfire starting,” ESV reported. “No fires occurred during 2021-2022 because of non-compliant vegetation contacting powerlines.”

AusNet Services, Powercor and United Energy have told ESV their poor performance was due to:

VERY high vegetation growth rates in recent years

SUB-OPTIMAL performance of principle vegetation management contractors

LIMITED access to contractors and competition for workers.

IMPEDIMENTS to line clearing activities, such as wet ground preventing safe access for clearing crews and Covid restrictions.

ESV has told distributors they must adopt a strategic approach that improved and sustained management of their electric line clearance duties and obligations.

ESV has reported previously that more than 1100 power outages are caused by trees touching powerlines in Victoria each year, affecting 400,000 residences and businesses.