We completed a major upgrade to around 108 kilometres of Single Wire Earth Return (SWER) powerlines across some of Victoria’s highest bushfire risk areas: Chum Creek, Clonbinane, Don Valley, Flowerdale, Forbes, Glenburn, Healesville, High Camp, Kilmore, Kilmore, Kilmore East, Launching Place, Moranding, Reedy Creek, Sunday Creek, Toolangi, Tyaak, Willowmavin and Woori Yallock.
The project replaced ageing bare wire powerlines with insulated powerlines, helping reduce bushfire risk and improve electricity network resilience for our communities. This upgrade is part of our ongoing commitment to strengthening Victoria’s electricity network and supplying safer, more reliable energy to high bushfire risk areas.
Why did we do this upgrade?
Many sections of our existing network were built decades ago. The upgrade was designed to:
- improve bushfire safety by replacing bare wire powerlines with insulated powerlines
- reduce the risk of electrical faults starting fires
- improve network resilience and reliability
- replace ageing infrastructure that had reached the end of its service life
- support the network during extreme weather conditions.
Insulated conductors provide an additional layer of protection because they are less likely to create sparks if they come into contact with vegetation or the ground.
What did we do?
- Replaced approximately 108 kilometres of bare wire powerlines with insulated powerlines.
- Installed over 100 new power poles, including concrete poles. Because insulated powerlines are heavier than traditional bare wire lines, we installed additional poles in some locations to safely support the upgraded powerlines across challenging terrain.
- Strengthened the network in high bushfire risk areas.
- Replaced ageing infrastructure across rural properties.
- Upgraded related network protection systems.
Working with local landowners
Most of the work was completed on or near private properties. We worked closely with landowners throughout planning and construction to minimise disruption and understand local needs. In some locations, property owners told us about ageing infrastructure or site-specific issues that we also addressed as part of this project. We’d like to thank landowners for their support, patience and collaboration throughout these works.
Managing customer impacts
To safely complete the upgrade, we had to turn the power off in some areas. We tried to reduce customer impact by:
- providing advance notice of planned outages
- contacting customers directly through letters, phone calls and email updates
- installing temporary generators where possible
- offering additional support during extended outages.
Benefits for the community
Some of the long-term benefits for customers and communities, include:
- stronger bushfire protection in high-risk areas
- a safe electricity network
- improved resilience during extreme weather events
- modern infrastructure designed to support future reliability.
By investing in safer and more resilient infrastructure today, we're helping support Victorian communities into the future.