Trees, shrubs and other vegetation enhance our lifestyles. However, vegetation touching powerlines is a proven risk to public safety and one of the main causes of power supply problems.
Management and maintenance
Effective management and maintenance of vegetation around powerlines is essential for the preservation of public safety and reliability of electricity supply. We employ contractors to undertake tree trimming throughout Queensland, including the Torres Strait Islands. Trimming is done on a variable maintenance cycle determined by plant growth rates predicted using scientific information gained from satellite imagery, high resolution aerial imagery, and local knowledge.
Tree trimming is carried out by trained professionals in accordance with Australian Standard AS4373 Pruning of Amenity Trees, to remove enough vegetation to ensure Ergon Energy adheres to legislative requirements.
Read our Standards for Vegetation Management which guides the program for maintenance of vegetation clearances around powerlines in our network.
| Title | Description | Updated |
|---|---|---|
| Standard for Vegetation Management (481.4 KB) | Ergon Energy’s vegetation management responsibilities, processes and practices. | 15 Mar 2012 |
| Standard for Vegetation Clearing Profile (202.0 KB) | Network standard for clearing and removing vegetation around Ergon Energy powerlines. | 15 Mar 2012 |
Industry partnerships
Ergon Energy’s partnership with Greening Australia Queensland began in 2002, with the establishment of the Plant Smart program to educate the community about planting appropriate trees and shrubs under powerlines.
Greening Australia Queensland assists with research and development into techniques to ultimately reduce costs for vegetation management, contribute to the improvement of the environmental value of vegetation under powerlines and to improve public safety and network performance relating to vegetation impacting on powerlines.
Today the partnership continues to focus on community awareness and research and development.
Community awareness
Through community awareness programs, powerline friendly trees are now easier to identify and purchase with over 130 nurseries participating in the Plant Smart program. Many schools have benefited from biodiversity assessments and plantings and most Queensland Local Council areas have recommended species lists for planting near powerlines.
Planting the wrong plant near powerlines may eventually cause an increase to the cost of electricity supply and presents an unnecessary safety risk. It may also increase the damage caused by cyclones and storms. Find out more about which trees are best to plant through your local Plant Smart Council brochure.
Research and development
Ergon Energy’s vegetation management techniques have benefited from the research and development work completed by Greening Australia Queensland through flora and fauna surveys and raising awareness of endangered and vulnerable species. We now maintain more low growing species where the clearing profile (PDF 201.97 kb) allows, resulting in greater biodiversity and habitat retention in utility easements.
The Plant Smart team recently completed important research into the ability of various tree species to endure the destructive winds of storms and cyclones. To learn more about which tree species are most susceptible to storm damage, read the report on the Greening Australia website.
