Under NSW laws and regulations, electricity distributors are responsible for maintaining the safety and reliability of their network, including reducing bushfire risk. This is why in the lead up to summer each year, NSW’s distributors (Ausgrid, Essential Energy and Endeavour Energy) are often visible carrying out network inspections, asset maintenance and vegetation trimming.
One key risk is vegetation growing too close to the overhead network or aerial consumer mains, which can cause outages or start a fire. For this reason, distributors must have a safety management system in place, including a vegetation management plan. These plans set out how the distributor identifies and manages vegetation risks including:
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the width of vegetation management corridors
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minimum clearances between overhead lines and vegetation
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the approach to managing risks in specific circumstances
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how vegetation work is carried out in a way that does not cause unnecessary damage to the environment.
The law also gives distributors certain powers to carry out work including:
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direct owners to trim or remove trees or vegetation on their premises, where it is too close to powerlines
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carry out vegetation management on public or private property and in certain circumstances recover the cost from an owner
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enter any premises to:
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install, extend, maintain, repair or remove electricity works
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remove or trim vegetation that may interfere or damage electricity works.
Where the distributor needs to access a customer’s premises to complete vegetation management, they must give notice – unless it is an emergency or the customer has given consent.
Distributors must also provide notice to affected customers where vegetation management requires a temporary interruption to their electricity supply.
Complaints to EWON
Customers complain to EWON about vegetation management for various reasons, including:
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concern about the proximity of vegetation to the overhead network
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receiving a notice to trim vegetation on their premises
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receiving notice that the distributor needs to access their premises to trim vegetation
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distributors accessing premises without providing appropriate notice
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how a distributor or their contractor has trimmed vegetation
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the responsibility for trimming or removing trees or vegetation.
While EWON recognises the importance of a safe and reliable electricity network, it is essential that distributors comply with their regulatory obligations. Doing so minimises the impact vegetation management has on customers and the environment and helps maintain confidence in network infrastructure that crosses private property.
Vegetation and the water network
Vegetation can impact the water network in various ways, such as tree roots blocking sewer pipes. Customers are responsible for maintaining their private sewer pipes up to the point where they connect to the network’s mains, after which any repairs are the responsibility of the network. For example, a customer with roots in their private sewer pipes may need to engage a licenced plumber at their own cost to remove the roots with high pressure jetting or specialist extraction equipment.
Case studies
Case study one
Customer concerns about proximity of trees to overhead network
Alfred had lived at his property for over two years but had never seen anyone trim the trees on his property line near the power lines. He received a notice in the mail from his distributor to advise that an arborist would come to carry out vegetation management, but no one arrived on the nominated date. Alfred was concerned that one tree was touching the power lines, posing a fire hazard. An arborist came and completed the trimming but they didn’t trim the tree that was causing a fire risk. Alfred contacted his distributor, who agreed the tree needed further trimming but didn’t provide a date when it would be done.
Alfred contacted EWON to find out the distributor’s obligations and for assistance to speed up the work. EWON contacted the distributor and clarified that the remaining trimming was scheduled to be completed within two weeks and needed to be overseen by the distributor, as the branches had grown into the clearance zone. We confirmed with Alfred that the remaining trimming was completed on the scheduled date and the next trimming date would be in 24 months.
EWON also advised the customer that:
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the trimming cycle for his property is every 24 months but would soon change to every 18 months, due to updated bushfire risk mapping
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the distributor’s primary records indicated that vegetation management had been completed on schedule during the previous five years
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the distributor confirmed that it had placed a note on the customer’s file requesting contractors to contact him at least 24 hours prior to future trimming works
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NSW law requires distributors to provide written notice to a landowner at least a day prior to entering private property to trim vegetation, subject to some exceptions
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the overhead lines on the property were high voltage conductors, where a 2.5m minimum clearance applied
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the premises was not in a designated bushfire prone area, therefore the additional 0.5m clearance, did not apply an additional regrowth allowance, calculated on a case-by-case basis, was added to the minimum clearance, to prevent vegetation encroaching into the clearance zone before the next trimming cycle was completed.
Case study two
Dispute about responsibility for vegetation management
Henry’s property is crossed by high and low voltage overhead lines from the distributor’s network. He was concerned about a large, dead tree on the property about 15 meters from the overhead service line, which he thought should be removed for safety. He contacted the distributor, who sent an arborist to assess the tree who concluded it posed no risk to the network assets. The distributor advised Henry the tree could be removed at his own cost, but he would be responsible for any damages caused to the overhead lines. Henry raised his concerns with EWON and asked whether the distributor was responsible to address the safety risk the tree posed.
EWON contacted the distributor for further information about the matter and to discuss Henry’s request to share the cost of removing the tree, which the distributor declined.
After a review of all the information available, we concluded there was no reason for the distributor to take further action. While Henry was unhappy with the distributor’s position, he accepted the outcome of EWON’s review and agreed that no further investigation was necessary.
