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 statewide 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 bushfire risks and assess the condition of Transgrid towers and transmission lines.

Transgrid has now launched the 2025 bushfire prevention program, which includes helicopter inspections and 3D laser scanning.

Between May and September 2025, specialist helicopter crews will inspect transmission lines across the state.

This year we will have two helicopters in the air at the same time in the Wagga and Yass areas and in Sydney and Newcastle to enable us to complete inspections faster and at the same time.

A guide to this year’s planned flight schedule is below. Please note this is weather dependent and subject to change.

Region 

Dates 

Tamworth and New England 

Thursday 1st May – Wednesday 14th May 

Orange and Central West 

Monday 19th May – Friday 23rd May 

Wagga & Yass and Riverina 

Thursday 12th June – Saturday 28th June 

Newcastle and Hunter 

Thursday 12th June – Tuesday 17th June 

Sydney  

Wednesday 18th June – Friday 20th June 

ACT and Snowy Mountains 

Monday 1st September – Friday 5th September 

Thermographic surveying

In addition to aerial patrols, thermographic surveying is conducted every two years to assess for any further defects in Transgrid transmission lines and their connection points.

Thermographic surveying allows for a deeper inspection through heat-sensitive technology to ensure the safety of our staff and community.

We are continuing to work closely with fire authorities and local communities to ensure the safe operation of our network during the 2024-2025 summer season.

We are planning flights over the following public areas:

  • Dates: Thursday 08/05 - Friday 09/05:
  • Locations: Galston, Mount Kuring-gai, Kuring-gai Chase, Belrose. Yass, Murrumbateman, Springrange

Disclaimer: These dates and areas are subject to change due to weather and service conditions.

Resources

Fact sheets

Document

Bushfire Fact Sheet

PDF 389.61 KB