With a network area of 255,000km2, that’s a lot of ground to cover. One way to improve the efficiency of our work is to use a helicopter to conduct patrols/inspections, washing, siliconing, and routine maintenance of transmission and distribution lines and assets. It also means that we don’t need to drive on to your property to do all of this.
Pollution and humidity can build up on electrical insulators and so we need to keep them clean to minimise reliability issues. Live line washing means that the power stays on while we do it. The helicopters fly low – around the same height as poles – so we recommend that farmers who may be concerned about disruption to their livestock consider moving them away from power lines.
2024 schedule
Task: Distribution line washing and siliconing
Suburb | Month |
---|---|
Allanooka | January 2024 |
Bootenal | January 2024 |
Burma Road | January 2024 |
Deepdale | January 2024 |
Georgina | January 2024 |
Minnenooka | January 2024 |
Mindarabin | January 2024 |
Moonyoonooka | January 2024 |
Mount Hill | January 2024 |
Mount Horner | January 2024 |
Nangetty | January 2024 |
Narngulu | January 2024 |
Sandsprings | January 2024 |
Walkaway | January 2024 |
West Casuarinas | January 2024 |
Task: Distribution line siliconing
Suburb | Month |
---|---|
Amelup | January 2024 |
Borden | January 2024 |
Cowalellup | January 2024 |
Jackitup | January 2024 |
Jerramungup | January 2024 |
Kebaringup | January 2024 |
Magitup | January 2024 |
Mills Lake | January 2024 |
Mindarabin | January 2024 |
Monjebup | January 2024 |
Nalyerlup | January 2024 |
Needilup | January 2024 |
Ongerup | January 2024 |
Pallinup | January 2024 |
Stirling Range National Park | January 2024 |
Toompup | January 2024 |
Task: Distribution linewashing
Suburb | Month |
---|---|
Jerramungup | January 2024 |
Mills Lake | January 2024 |
Needilup | January 2024 |
Pingrup | January 2024 |
Task: Transmission line washing
Suburb | Month |
---|---|
Allanson | January 2024 |
Ambergate | January 2024 |
Anketell | January 2024 |
Ardath | January 2024 |
Baldivis | January 2024 |
Banksiadale | January 2024 |
Beela | January 2024 |
Bibra Lake | January 2024 |
Blythewood | January 2024 |
Boallia | January 2024 |
Boddington | January 2024 |
Boundain | January 2024 |
Bowelling | January 2024 |
Bramley | January 2024 |
Bruce Rock | January 2024 |
Brunswick | January 2024 |
Buckingham | January 2024 |
Cardiff | January 2024 |
Cardup | January 2024 |
Casuarina | January 2024 |
Cockburn Central | January 2024 |
Collie | January 2024 |
Cookernup | January 2024 |
Coolup | January 2024 |
Cowaramup | January 2024 |
Dardadine | January 2024 |
Darkan | January 2024 |
Dumberning | January 2024 |
East Wickepin | January 2024 |
Fairbridge | January 2024 |
Hammond Park | January 2024 |
Harris River | January 2024 |
Hoffman | January 2024 |
Hopeland | January 2024 |
Jindong | January 2024 |
Kaloorup | January 2024 |
Keralup | January 2024 |
Keysbrook | January 2024 |
Kirk Rock | January 2024 |
Kondinin | January 2024 |
Korbel | January 2024 |
Kulin West | January 2024 |
Lower Hotham | January 2024 |
Malaga | January 2024 |
Malyalling | January 2024 |
Mandogalup | January 2024 |
Mardella | January 2024 |
Margaret River | January 2024 |
Marradong | January 2024 |
Marrinup | January 2024 |
Merredin | January 2024 |
Mornington | January 2024 |
Mount Wells | January 2024 |
Muja | January 2024 |
Mundijong | January 2024 |
Mungalup | January 2024 |
Nambeelup | January 2024 |
Nanga Brook | January 2024 |
Nangeenan | January 2024 |
Narrogin Valley | January 2024 |
North Dandalup | January 2024 |
Oakford | January 2024 |
Oakley | January 2024 |
Palmer | January 2024 |
Pinjarra | January 2024 |
Preston Settlement | January 2024 |
Ravenswood | January 2024 |
Roelands | January 2024 |
Serpentine | January 2024 |
Shotts | January 2024 |
South Kumminin | January 2024 |
South Lake | January 2024 |
Success | January 2024 |
Teesdale | January 2024 |
Treeton | January 2024 |
Upper Murray | January 2024 |
Vasse | January 2024 |
Wadderin | January 2024 |
Wagerup | January 2024 |
Wandi | January 2024 |
Waroona | January 2024 |
Wellard | January 2024 |
Wellesley | January 2024 |
Wickepin | January 2024 |
Williams | January 2024 |
Wogolin | January 2024 |
Wokalup | January 2024 |
Worsley | January 2024 |
Wuraming | January 2024 |
Yarloop | January 2024 |
Yilliminning | January 2024 |
Yourdamung Lake | January 2024 |
Task: Distribution line washing and siliconing
Suburb | Month |
---|---|
Amelup | March 2024 |
Cowalellup | March 2024 |
Fitzgerald | March 2024 |
Jacup | March 2024 |
Jerramungup | March 2024 |
Mills Lake | March 2024 |
Monjebup | March 2024 |
Nalyerlup | March 2024 |
Needilup | March 2024 |
Pingrup | March 2024 |
Toompup | March 2024 |
West Fitzgerald | March 2024 |
West River | March 2024 |
Task: Transmission line washing
Suburb | Month |
---|---|
Ardath | March 2024 |
Binduli | March 2024 |
Boorabbin | March 2024 |
Boundain | March 2024 |
Bruce Rock | March 2024 |
Bullabulling | March 2024 |
Coolgardie | March 2024 |
Cunderdin | March 2024 |
East Wickepin | March 2024 |
Ghooli | March 2024 |
Grass Valley | March 2024 |
Hines Hill | March 2024 |
Kanowna | March 2024 |
Karlkurla | March 2024 |
Kellerberrin | March 2024 |
Kirk Rock | March 2024 |
Kondinin | March 2024 |
Korbel | March 2024 |
Kulin West | March 2024 |
Malyalling | March 2024 |
Meckering | March 2024 |
Meenaar | March 2024 |
Merredin | March 2024 |
Mount Burges | March 2024 |
Muluckine | March 2024 |
Nangeenan | March 2024 |
Narrogin Valley | March 2024 |
Norpa | March 2024 |
Northam | March 2024 |
South Doodlakine | March 2024 |
South Kumminin | March 2024 |
South Tammin | March 2024 |
Southern Cross | March 2024 |
Throssell | March 2024 |
Wadderin | March 2024 |
Waeel | March 2024 |
Wallaroo | March 2024 |
Warding East | March 2024 |
Wickepin | March 2024 |
Wogolin | March 2024 |
Yellowdine | March 2024 |
Yilkari | March 2024 |
Yilliminning | March 2024 |
Task: Transmission line maintenance
Suburb | Month |
---|---|
Anketell | March 2024 |
Badgingarra | March 2024 |
Baldivis | March 2024 |
Binningup | March 2024 |
Blythewood | March 2024 |
Casuarina | March 2024 |
Cookernup | March 2024 |
Cooljarloo | March 2024 |
Hill River | March 2024 |
Hopeland | March 2024 |
Kanowna | March 2024 |
Karlkurla | March 2024 |
Keralup | March 2024 |
Mardella | March 2024 |
Myalup | March 2024 |
Nambeelup | March 2024 |
Nambung | March 2024 |
Naval Base | March 2024 |
Oakley | March 2024 |
Pinjarra | March 2024 |
Ravenswood | March 2024 |
Uduc | March 2024 |
Wagerup | March 2024 |
Wandi | March 2024 |
Waroona | March 2024 |
Warradarge | March 2024 |
Wellard | March 2024 |
Wellesley | March 2024 |
West Coolup | March 2024 |
West Pinjarra | March 2024 |
Wokalup | March 2024 |
Yarloop | March 2024 |
Yilkari | March 2024 |
FAQs
The helicopter operates at roughly the same height as the power poles, ensuring effective cleaning and silicone application.
We’re committed to improving network resilience for our communities. Helicopter maintenance work, especially the washing and siliconing of insulators, helps reduce the risk of pole top fires and ensures consistent and safe power supply across Western Australia.
The maintenance involves two steps. First, we spray insulators and powerlines with demineralised water. In the second phase we return to apply a protective silicone layer.
We start by using demineralised water for initial cleaning. Following that, we apply FCSIL6, a silicone product, to protect against potential electrical hazards. FCSIL6 is not classified as hazardous (based on the Global Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals).
It's unlikely the helicopter will need to land on private properties. However, if such a situation arises, we'll do our best to communicate with landowners in advance.
Please check our monthly list of suburbs. Our daily schedule is subject to change depending on weather and other operational considerations.
Helicopters won’t be flying in and around residential streets, main roads, close to houses, livestock, etc. Other type of treatments can be employed to maintain the network where a helicopter cannot fly.