Latest news
Winter 2019
energysafe issue 54
Powercor pleads guilty
and fined for line
clearance breaches
By Jonathan Granger, Head of Communications and Marketing
In early April, electricity distribution company Powercor
entered a guilty plea and has been fined $374,000 for
numerous powerline clearance breaches and three fires,
in Shepparton Magistrate’s Court.
ESV prosecuted Powercor for
51 charges, incorporating 189 breaches
of Electric Line Clearance regulations
along a corridor from Benalla to Mildura.
A further six charges related to three
grass fires connected with tree branches
hitting high voltage powerlines.
Trees or other vegetation touching
powerlines can cause electrocution
and bushfires. It can also interrupt the
electricity supply, leaving vulnerable
people in regional and rural areas
without power.
The magistrate imposed on Powercor
fines of $374,000, consisting of
$200,000 for the line clearance
breaches and $58,000 for each of the
three fires. The magistrate said the
charges were ‘serious’ but noted that
Powercor had pleaded guilty at the
earliest opportunity.
“Noting the magistrate’s comments
as to the gravity of the offending, the
guilty plea and no previous offending
I am satisfied that a strong signal has
been sent,” Director of Energy Safety
Paul Fearon said.
“ESV has increased its inspection
resources and will continue to closely
monitor the performance of all DBs and
councils responsible for tree clearing.
I will not hesitate in laying further
charges if serious non-compliance
is observed.”
Under the regulations, vegetation
must be a prescribed distance from
powerlines to avoid the possibility
of contact and a potential fire.
The fires occurred last year near the
townships of Rochester (6th January),
Port Campbell (28th January) and
Strathmerton (20th January).
Mr Fearon said all distribution
businesses should understand their
legal responsibilities in terms of
vegetation clearance.
“Victoria has suffered a number of
significant fires resulting from vegetation
coming into contact with powerlines.
As far as I am concerned, many of
these were preventable fires and
should not have occurred,” he said.
“I am pleased to note that since
these incidents and ESV’s subsequent
investigation – which resulted in the
charges – Powercor and its sister
companies have significantly improved
their bushfire risk mitigation practice.”
Most of the line clearance breaches
occurred in low bushfire risk areas
although changes to land and water
management have left conditions
significantly drier than previously, greatly
increasing the risks of fire in these areas.
The CFA are currently reviewing the
classification of these areas.
AFL Victorian
partnership
By Daniel Brace,
Communications Advisor
On 7 June, ESV kicked off its 2019
partnership with AFL Victoria. The
Country Victoria U19 representative
football team put on their Energy Safe
Victoria guernseys to take on the
Victorian Amateur Football Association
U19 side in the Challenge Cup at
Elsternwick Park.
Our partnership with AFL Victoria,
which has been going for almost a
decade, also includes the successful
Canteen Grants Program and the
inaugural Canteen Volunteer of
the Year Award.
The partnership is another avenue for
ESV to deliver our safety messages —
household wiring safety and gas BBQ
safety — into the community.
The Canteen Grants program provides
Victorian clubs financial support
to purchase new gas or electrical
equipment to replace aging and
unsafe equipment.
“We’re improving the safety of
club canteens, one club at a time.
Thanks to our partnership with AFL
Victoria, over two years we will have
helped almost 60 clubs become safer
places for the volunteers, players and
communities they serve,” says Paul
Fearon, Director of Energy Safety.
To see if your local club received
a Canteen Grant, keep an eye out
for the announcement of recipients
on our website.
Nominations for the innaugrual
Energy Safe Victoria 2019 Canteen
Volunteer of the Year will open soon.
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