What are they & who's responsible?
Private poles and powerlines are electrical poles and overhead powerlines that are located within the boundary of a private property. These assets allow electricity to flow from the distribution pole on the street to the private asset on your property to power your house.
In most cases, property owners are responsible for the electrical assets on their property beyond the distributor's connection point.
Identifying private poles & powerlines
All properties that have an electricity supply will have private electrical assets that the property owner is responsible for maintaining.
Private poles can be located anywhere on a property but are typically near the front boundary or fence. They can be identified by the powerline from the street connecting to the private pole.
Properties in rural areas can have multiple private poles that the property owner is responsible for maintaining.
Private powerlines run from a private pole on a property to the point of connection on a house. The property owner is responsible for maintaining this private pole and ensuring it is in good condition.
A point of connection is typically located on the fascia off the front of a house. The property owner is responsible for making sure this connection point and fittings are in good working order.
Shared private poles
In some cases, two or more properties might share the same private pole. This is common when a private pole is located on one property and multiple private powerlines run power to different properties from this.
In these instances, each property owner is responsible for maintaining their own private powerlines. All property owners that have private powerlines connected to the shared private pole are responsible for maintaining the shared private pole.
Why do I need to maintain my private pole & powerlines?
The maintenance of private electrical assets all comes down to safety!
- Make sure private poles are free of rot, rust and termite damage so they are not at risk of falling.
- If your private powerline is frayed, it needs to be replaced! Frayed and damaged powerlines can arc, spark and catch on fire. If this happens, urgently contact your electricity distributor to disconnect the power and then contact a level 2 Accredited Service Provider to replace the powerline.
- Cracked or broken point of attachments can cause live powerlines to fall, posing a significant risk to your safety.
Common issues with the point of attachment
If your powerlines are secure in the point of attachment but the casing is cracked or broken, contact a Level 2 Accredited Service Provider to replace the casing.
If your powerlines are falling out of the point of attachment, contact your energy distributor to disconnect the power and make the situation safe so the point of attachment can be replaced.
Ensure clear access to Assets
To ensure the safety of yourself and your community, there should be clear access to all electrical assets on private property. In an emergency, your electricity distributor needs to be able to easily access your electrical assets for the safety of yourself, your family and your property. Consider the following in relation to your property:
- Do not build structures around, excavate near or lean anything up against your private pole.
- Private poles can be dangerous and should be approached with caution. Do not let children or pets play near private poles.
- Unless part of the original building, there should always be a clear, easily accessible path to a point of attachment.
- Do not build car ports or garages, install awnings or decks or plant trees directly under a point of attachment.
In an emergency call 000
your electricity distributor
