Design standards, operation and maintenance of transmission assets mitigate risk and allow assets to tolerate bushfire conditions.
Our transmission network has specific management plans with processes and procedures for fire prevention and vegetation management.
Transmission lines and easements
Wherever there are transmission lines, there are transmission line easements. We manage easements across the transmission network. Transmission line easements protect public safety and give us safe, clear access to our transmission towers and lines so we can maintain a reliable network.
We have the right to access these easements at any time to inspect and maintain the towers and lines and ensure they’re operating safely. This right extends to our trusted delivery partners.
For more information on our inspection and maintenance program, see Transmission line inspections.
Regulation
Energy Safe Victoria is the state’s statutory body responsible for regulating the safety of the energy and pipeline industries.
Safety laws and regulations require us to have the following plans in place:
- Vegetation Management Plan - outlines the vegetation easement inspection and maintenance program in our transmission network
- Bushfire Mitigation Plan - outlines how the transmission network reduces bushfire risk.
Energy Safe audit these plans every year. To read the plans, see Regulatory publications.
Transmission Vegetation and Easements Program
Our transmission vegetation and easements program focuses on maintaining a safe distance between vegetation and transmission lines to reduce bushfire risk.
As part of our regular inspection and maintenance program, we inspect our lines from the air using high-resolution cameras with light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data and aerial imagery. LiDAR data provides important details of the height and type of vegetation across the transmission line easements and identifies areas where we need to manage vegetation. Within transmission line easements, mature trees and shrubs taller than three metres in height is prohibited.
For more information, see Vegetation management.
Total Fire Ban (TFB) days
On TFB days, we do a risk assessment of all our planned construction works and put measures in place to ensure the work is done safely.
What happens to the transmission network during a bushfire?
We are committed to giving our customers and communities safe and reliable electricity. During a bushfire, we work closely with Emergency Management Victoria (EMV), Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV), Country Fire Authority (CFA) and Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV) and follow all agreed and mandatory directions. If required, this can include turning the power off across parts of the transmission network for safety.
Using easements to support firefighting efforts
As transmission easements are largely free of vegetation, they have a low fuel load (less vegetation and plant matter that can add to the fire) and can act as a line of defence against bushfires.
We also work with Forest Fire Management Victoria FFMV on their planned backburning operations. A backburn is a fire lit close to the edge of an active bushfire, which burns out the fuel between the bushfire and an established control line. Backburning helps reduce the intensity of a bushfire by reducing fuel load.
Fire prevention control
We can operate our terminal stations and transmission lines remotely so they can be shut down when needed. If a fault occurs on the transmission network, our protection systems detect the fault and switch the power off immediately to prevent an electrical fire. Once the power is off, there is no longer any risk of electricity sparks starting a fire. Fire is unable to travel along transmission lines because the lines are not flammable.
Lightning strikes
Our transmission towers have ground/earth wires installed at the top to protect the transmission lines from lightning strikes. If lightning strikes the ground wire on top of the tower, the electricity in the lightning is directed safely into the ground through the ground wire and towers. This allows the electricity supply to continue without interruptions, avoids damage to network infrastructure, and reduces the risk of a bushfire being ignited from lightning strikes.