While some power outages were caused by extreme weather, another reason is the bushfire mitigation technology installed in Benalla and Violet Town in November 2023.
While this technology helps protect communities from potential bushfires, it also makes the electricity network more sensitive to power outages and it can take longer to get the power back on.
This is because the technology acts like a giant safety switch in the electricity network. When a powerline falls or comes into contact with a tree branch or animal, it cuts the power to the whole powerline. We then need to physically find and clear the fault before turning the power back on. For more information, see Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiter Program under our Completed projects.
For the powerline supplying electricity to Euroa, this can take some time as it spans over 1,200kms. This is the longest line in Victoria with no alternative path for power supply.
In the map below, the blue shows the powerlines that supply the area, with dots marking where the new technology will be installed.
Concerns about the reliability of the Benalla to Euroa line were identified earlier this year. Since then, we've committed to putting improvements in place.
Short-term improvements completed:
Long-term improvements:
From June to October 2024, we’ll be in Euroa and Violet Town installing technology to improve power reliability, including:
With these changes, we’re investing more than $10million this year to improve the reliability of the Benalla to Euroa electricity distribution line. This line is also known as BN11. We’ll continue to monitor network performance and work with the community to make sure we’re seeing results. You can read our recent media release here.
We also recognise our impact on the community as part of our obligation to provide a reliable supply of electricity. We’ve paid more than $1.5million in compensation to local customers for outages during the 2023/2024 summer period. If you were impacted during this time, the payment will be automatically credited to your power bill.
We’re committed to working with communities in Strathbogie, Euroa, Benalla and surrounding areas as we improve network performance in the area.
As part of our program, we have established the SBCLG to provide a forum for local community members, organisations and businesses to:
For more information visit SBCLG.
We'll be carrying out fault throw testing at two sites along the Benalla to Euroa line from Tuesday 22 October to Friday 25 October.
You’ll see our crews and vehicles at the following locations between 8.00am and 5.00pm each day:
Traffic management will be in place to guide motorists safely around our work sites. We don't expect any outages, but if the power supply is interrupted during testing, our crews will work to get the power back on as soon as possible. For tips to prepare, visit Outages. If you’re a life support customer, please be ready to activate your emergency plan during the testing period.
These works will allow us to test the strength of the line and how it works with the advanced reclosers we’ve installed to help improve power reliability in Euroa and surrounding areas. Advanced reclosers help us quickly identify faults, which means we can get the power back on faster and reduce the number of people impacted by outages.
Construction on the bushfire protection switch is now complete and we’re running on time to meet our promise of completing the project by 1 November. This work will be finished in time for the CFA-declared fire danger period when bushfire protection technology (REFCL) will be operating in a sensitive setting again.
On Monday 14 October, 136 properties around Euroa will be supplied by a generator while we continue to install advanced reclosers. The huge 1250kVA generator means we won’t need to have a long, planned power outage and can reduce the impact of our work on the community.
If you live within this area you may have a short 15 minute outage when the power switches from the generator back to the network. You’ll receive a letter to let you know in advance if your property is impacted.
Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to use a generator when working on the electricity network, some of the reasons include:
Between 8 and 11 October we’ll be installing all 11 single-phase reclosers which will finish construction for the project. We’ll be closely monitoring the network over summer to ensure that the community is seeing the power reliability improvements.