Western Power is readying the network for the bushfire season by implementing a range of measures to minimise bushfire risk.
The ongoing impacts of climate change and extreme weather events along with Bureau of Meteorology forecasting extreme high temperatures this summer means Western Power is continually refining the way it manages and mitigates bushfire risk across the network.
Head of Asset Performance Archana Viswanathan said, in addition to Western Power’s annual maintenance program, the organisation is investing $229 million in preparation for summer conditions, with $136 million to be spent on pole replacements, $61 million on conductor replacements and $32 million on vegetation management.
“Every year before bushfire season, our crews prepare the network, particularly in high and extreme bushfire risk zones to reduce the likelihood of a network-related spark that could cause a fire,” she said.
“This includes inspecting more than 149,000 poles in high and extreme fire risk areas, significantly increased our vegetation management program and replacing more than 3,200 insulators.
“Our bushfire mitigation strategy includes a mix of smart network settings, proactive management of poles and wires in high and extreme bushfire zones, and how we operate in response to fire restrictions.
“The safety of the community and our crews underpins everything we do. We work closely with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and local governments to make sure we have workable and effective exemptions in place to safely restore power on high fire danger weather days.”
As part of a national approach, Western Power aligns with the Australian Fire Danger Rating System to ensure assets in extreme and high bushfire risk areas are managed safely. This involves altering network settings to minimise the risk of network infrastructure causing a spark.
“This additional layer of safety over the summer months makes the network more sensitive to faults, which means we may need to inspect power lines before restoring power. This can result in longer outage times.”
“Many rural distribution feeders are more than 100 kilometres long and pass through different grades of bushfire risk areas, often in challenging terrains which are difficult to access.”
“To combat this, we have alternative options and strategies, such as using of helicopters and drones to inspect areas that are inaccessible, to assess if it is safe to restore power.”
“We understand the impact outages can have but the safety of the community and our crews is paramount.”
The combination of extreme heat and dry conditions across vast areas mean communities must also play a role in reducing the risk of bushfires.
People are asked to keep trees on their properties trimmed away from powerlines and to follow the clearance zones for a safe minimum distance.
If you see a fallen or damaged powerline or an emergency situation affecting the electricity network, stay clear and make the safe call on 13 13 51.
