Trees and powerlines

19 Mar 2007

A significant portion of power outages across the Top End are attributed to trees and palms interfering with power lines. To combat this the corporation is stepping up its tree trimming program.

We are committed to protecting the safety of members of our community and our employees. Trees, including palms, can be blown into powerlines when they grow too close to them. If this happens, they can conduct electricity and become safety hazards.

Trimming trees and palms helps reduce the chances of a tree or palm causing a blackout in your suburb.

Power and Water contractors clear vegetation around powerlines in the road reserve and remove the debris from the site.

This includes trees that may come from private property and intrude into the safe clearance distance of the power line on the road reserve.

Property owners are responsible for keeping trees clear of the electricity service line, which is the line running from the power pole on the road reserve to the house. The Power and Water Corporation urges residents to contact use before pruning so we can advise people on the safest way to do this. If vegetation is close to powerlines it is critical that residents do not attempt to clear them.

Some trees and palms are not suitable for growing under or near power lines. In some cases, the pruning method may not address the safety issue or may impact on the aesthetics, and the plants may need to be removed.

If our contractors identify unsafe vegetation on your private property, they will contact you to discuss removing it permanently.

Before any trimming begins, our contractor will drop letters to all properties before they start work in your area. If you need more information on where we’ll be trimming, click here and follow the prompts.

We also advertise our contractors’ planned locations monthly in the NT News and fortnightly in the Centralian Advocate