Improving network resilience
We are replacing bare overhead powerlines with covered conductors to improve network resilience during storms and to reduce the risk of bushfire in your area.
What we’re doing
We're replacing the old bare, high voltage conductors with covered conductors, in the areas of greatest risk.
This work could mean an outage of power in your area, however, these changes are necessary to deliver long-term benefits before the upcoming bushfire and storm seasons.
Installing covered conductors will reduce the number of unplanned outages and the likelihood of powerlines starting bushfires by 98-99% in the areas of highest bushfire risk in the network.
What’s involved
We’re addressing the highest risk areas and installing covered conductor in rural and semi areas. These areas have little – if any – capacity to back-feed supply from other parts of the network, to mitigate the impact on directly impacted customers.
To achieve the greatest benefit for the largest number of customers, some areas will require 8-9 kilometres of conductor to be replaced, including the installation of new poles to carry the new, heavier covered conductors.
Using our current workforce, we have the capacity to refurbish 1-2 kilometres of conductor per day, so planned outages may last for a few days or slightly more.
