esv.vic.gov.au
Current and recent fires around Australia, especially in
New South Wales and Queensland, are a timely reminder that
we are already in the midst of a long, hot and dry bushfire season.
Victoria is one of the most fire-prone
areas in the world and Energy Safe
Victoria has a vital role to play in
ensuring that electricity infrastructure
businesses are mitigating the risk of
catastrophic fire. ESV has also established working
groups with the CSIRO, the Metropolitan
Fire Brigade and the Country Fire
Authority to develop and share data
and to develop new approaches to
improve decision-making.
Victoria’s Emergency Management
Commissioner Andrew Crisp has
indicated that the major concern this
season is for the east of the state,
extending to the Great Dividing
Range. He said these areas were now
experiencing their third consecutive
year of rainfall deficit. In respect of the reliability of Victoria’s
power supply this summer, the Australian
Energy Market Operator (AEMO) says
it remains focussed on the real risk to
power system operations. However, it
says it has worked diligently to prepare
the system appropriately, including the
procurement of emergency resources
to manage possible high-risk scenarios
such as extended heatwaves, bushfires
and unplanned generation
or transmission outages.
He warned that Victorians could not
afford to become complacent in any
part of the state and emphasised that
although the emergency management
sector was better prepared than ever
before, it always relied on the community
to do its part “as community safety is
a shared responsibility”.
ESV plays a major role in that shared
responsibility by monitoring, auditing
and enforcing compliance with the
safety regulations and Acts associated
with powerline bushfire safety.
ESV has increased focus on data-driven
decision-making, based on vegetation
compliance, equipment audits, events
and investigations, fires and asset
failures.
In conjunction with the Department of
Environment, Land, Water and Planning,
ESV is continuing to roll out the Victorian
Government’s 10-year, $750 million
Powerline Bushfire Safety program
which delivers on recommendations
from the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal
Commission. The aim is to reduce the
risk of bushfires caused by electrical
assets without causing significant
impact to electricity supply reliability.
AEMO says the introduction of
these resources delivers a welcome
improvement to reliability and reduces
the need to procure further out-of-
market reserves.
Pre-summer checks underway
As Victoria heads into another potentially
disastrous fire period, ESV’s Line
Clearance Assurance Field Officers
have been carrying out pre-summer
checks of powerlines across the state.
These audits ensure the minimum
clearance space between vegetation
and powerlines has been established.
Where the field officers find that
vegetation is too close to the line,
ESV follows up to ensure action is
undertaken to make the site compliant.
It is the responsibility of electricity
distribution businesses and relevant
councils to maintain adequate clearance
in accordance with the Electricity Safety
(Electric Line Clearance) Regulations
2015 (the regulations) and the Code of
Practice for Electric Line Clearance (the
Code); a schedule to the regulations.
Compliance with the regulations and
code is required to provide appropriate
standards of electrical safety. Failing
to manage these risks may result in
electrocution and fire (including bushfire),
or affect the reliability of electricity
supply.
The pre-summer audits program
includes:
» ensuring distribution business system
records correctly reflect the field status
of their networks
» completing field inspections throughout
the fire danger period to assess electric
line clearance compliance
» ensuring businesses comply with their
electric line clearance management
plans.
So far this season ESV field officers
have been auditing powerlines around
Cann River, Dromana, Hastings,
Bendigo, Nhill, Leongatha, Warragul,
Traralgon, Kinglake, Sunbury, Coolaroo,
Terang, Stanhope, Cobden, Rosebud,
Frankston South and Bendigo. There
are more audits planned throughout
the summer period.
The required distance is determined
by the electric line voltage, the length
of the span and the powerline bushfire
risk rating of the location. Those regions
rated as Hazardous Bushfire Risk Areas
are a particular focus over the summer
fire danger period for electric line
clearance audits.
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