Managing bush fire risk

The Transgrid Electricity Network Safety Management System annual report focuses on bush fire compliance and reporting.  

The reports identifies risks to, and foreseeable threats posed by, our assets and activities that could cause a bush fire. It also identifies controls that we have applied to ensure the risk of bush fire to Transgrid and the community is as low as practicably possible.

Our Managing Bush Fire Risk factsheet outlines the procedures we have in place to minimise the risks of bush fire around our assets and communities where we operate.

Our comprehensive maintenance program ensures the network is safe for our people and the community. Our Bush Fire Risk Management Plan outlines our responsibility for managing the potential impact of bush fires on our electricity network assets. The plan outlines hazardous events of concern, and describes how we manage the associated risk.

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Preparing for bush fire season

The Rural Fire Service has a number of tools and fact sheets available to assist you in preparing for bush fire season including:
  • Get Ready For a Bush Fire – Four simple steps to making your bush fire survival plan
  • Bush Fire and Your Home – Prepare your home and property for bush fires
  • Information for rural landholders and farmers – helps NSW rural land holders prepare for and prevent bush fires.

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Reporting issues

Call our emergency number 1800 027 253 whenever you see:

  • Fallen powerlines
  • Damaged power poles or tower structures
  • Vegetation and tree encroachment or powerlines
  • Sparks or fire coming from Transgrid assets

Do not approach fallen powerlines as these can induce dangerous voltages many meters from the conductor.

Bush fire fact sheet

We have undertaken a Formal Safety Assessment specifically focused on bush fire risk, as part of our Electricity Safety Management System. This assessment has identified foreseeable threats posed by our assets and activities that could cause a bush fire, as well as the risk to our assets from bush fire. We adhere to the following principles:
  • Designed Right
  • Built Right
  • Operated Right
  • Maintained Right

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Aerial patrols

Every year, specialist helicopter patrols check more than 13,000 kilometres of transmission lines and infrastructure across our state-wide network.

Annual inspections are an important part of our comprehensive maintenance program, and ensure the transmission network is safe for our staff and the community. 

The patrols check for vegetation encroachments along transmission line easements, identify potential bush fire risks and assess the condition of Transgrid towers and transmission lines. 

2024 patrols

Aerial bushfire safety inspections for 2024 are now underway. The helicopter will fly above transmission lines at about 50 kilometres per hour.

Weather permitting, Transgrid will inspect transmission lines in or near the following areas:

  • March 15-25
    • Riverina-Murray: Gadara, Tumut, Blowering Dam, Talbingo, Cabramurra, Khancoban, Geehi, Jindera, Lake Hume Village, Albury, Lavington, Ettamogah, Wagga Wagga, Uranquinty, Narrandera, Yanco, Griffith, Darlington Point, Coleambally, Deniliquin, Finely, and Balranald
    • Sunraysia: Buronga
    • Far West: Broken Hill and Silverton.
  • May – Tamworth
  • June – Yass
  • July – Sydney metropolitan area; Newcastle
  • September – ACT; Snowy Mountains.

The schedule is subject to change. 

For more information, please contact our toll-free hotline on 1800 222 537.

Resources

Fact sheets

Document

Bushfire Fact Sheet

PDF 389.61 KB