About half of Transgrid’s annual maintenance expenditure is directed to mitigating bushfire risk, with more than 3,000 vegetation management and network maintenance tasks completed across the network in the off-season between April and September this year.
Executive General Manager of Network Jason Krstanoski said Transgrid continually refines its bushfire prevention measures as part of its asset management and network safety management systems to keep them best in class.
“We must remain vigilant in managing bushfire risks associated with our transmission assets to ensure the safety of our people, network and local communities,” he said.
“While the risk across all of NSW remains normal this year, the Australian and New Zealand Council for fire and emergency services has declared an early Bushfire Danger Period for 28 regions across the state.
“Spring is expected to bring above-average rainfall, which may reduce fire risk early on but could also spur grass growth in central and western regions, raising the potential for fires later in the season if conditions become drier.”
Transgrid’s 2025 bushfire safety management program included:
- A 3D laser aerial survey of easements across the entire network using LiDAR technology to identify vegetation growing too close to transmission lines;
- An extensive vegetation management program with on-the-ground teams assessing and mitigating potential vegetation encroachments;
- Helicopter and drone inspections and aerial imagery of the network to physically assess the condition of towers and lines;
- On-the-ground teams carrying out network inspections and maintenance to avoid potential bushfire hazards; and
- Thermographic surveying of substations to identify and address any required asset upgrades.
NSW Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Ben Millington said every bit of preparation ahead of the bushfire season is crucial.
“Following a number of wet years, we’re seeing very high fuel loads right across the state, particularly in our grasslands,” Deputy Commissioner Millington said.
“The proactive work Transgrid is undertaking means we can focus on protecting lives and property when conditions deteriorate, knowing that key assets have been maintained to reduce the risk of fire starting or spreading.”
For more information about Transgrid’s bushfire prevention measures visit: https://www.transgrid.com.au/safety/managing-bush-fire-risk
By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment.
Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website. Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so.
You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future, in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately. Otherwise, your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled.
Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy.