Dial Before You Dig
Here you will find out about staying safe and observing the law when digging near electricity cables.
About Dial Before You Dig
The Dial Before You Dig initiative is a free not-for-profit community service available across Australia that can help you avoid damaging underground pipes and cables.
If you are planning excavation works, you need to ensure that work won’t damage electricity cables.
Tough laws and penalties are in place to prevent damage to pipes and cables. Cable damage can result in major expense, injuries and even death.
How the service works
Lodge a request for information through the web or by calling the enquiry service if you are trying to identify the owners and locations of underground infrastructure before undertaking excavation works.
Dial Before You Dig will then send a referral on your behalf to members who have underground assets in the area you are planning to excavate.
Within two working days you should receive plans or other information sent to you by the asset owners.
Be responsible
It is an offence to damage cables or pipes, whether the damage is deliberate or whether a person has been reckless or negligent.
The laws are not designed to penalise responsible people who dial before they dig or landowners carrying out normal activities that do not endanger underground infrastructure. Nor do they stop qualified people lawfully doing gas work on pipelines or electricity work on cables.
More information
To lodge your request for information or to find out more about the Dial Before You Dig service go to www.1100.com.au or call 1100.
You can also call Energy Safe Victoria on 1800 800 158