Electric Line Clearance & Bushfire Mitigation

Legislation

The Electricity Safety (Electric Line Clearance) Regulations (2010) prescribes the Code of Practice for Electric Line Clearance and prescribe:

• management procedures for standards and practices to be adopted and observed in tree cutting or removal in the vicinity of electric lines and the keeping of the whole or any part of a tree clear of electric lines; and 
• management procedures to minimise danger of electric lines causing fire or electrocution; and
• other matters for or with respect to the maintenance of electric lines; and 
• provide for management plans relating to compliance with the Code; and
• provide for other matters authorised under the Act relating to electric line clearance.

These Regulations are made under sections 151 and 157 of the Electricity Safety Act 1998

Section 84 of the Electricity Safety Act 1998 specifies who is responsible for the maintenance of electric lines.

In regard to public lands, Section 84 (4) specifies that “a person responsible for the management of public land in an area declared under section 81 is responsible for the keeping of the whole or any part of a tree situated on the land clear of an electric line other than a private electric line”.

Section 81 specifies that:

(1) The Governor in Council, by Order published in the Government Gazette, may declare an area of land in an urban area for the purposes of this Part.

(2) An Order under subsection (1) must contain a description sufficient to identify the land concerned which may include a description by reference to a map held by Energy Safe Victoria.

(3) Energy Safe Victoria must make a copy of any map referred to in an Order under subsection (1) available at its office during business hours for any person to inspect free of charge.

To assist the community, Energy Safe Victoria is providing access to these maps via its web site.