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| Using Equipment at Fires |
| Use of Foam During Fire |
| Fire Hazard Ratings |
| Roadside Management |
Under Section 80 of the Electricity Safety Act 1998, CFA and MFB assign low and high fire hazard ratings to the Country Area of Victoria and to portions of the Metropolitan Fire District. The low and high fire hazard ratings are utilised to prescribe low and hazardous bushfire risk areas for the Electricity Safety (Electric Line Clearance) Regulations 2005, Electricity Safety (Installations) Regulations 1999 and Electricity Safety (Bushfire Mitigation) Regulations 2003.
The low and hazardous bushfire risk areas affect the extent of vegetation clearance adjacent to overhead electric lines under the Electricity Safety (Electric Line Clearance) Regulations 2005. Authorities responsible for the maintenance of these clearance spaces include electricity distribution businesses, municipal councils and private land owners. Under the Electricity Safety (Installations) Regulations 1999, a private electric line to be constructed or substantially reconstructed must be placed underground except that overhead private electric lines may be constructed or substantially reconstructed in low bushfire risk areas.
Fire hazard ratings contrast significantly with Bushfire Prone Areas (BPAs) and Wildfire Management Overlays (WMOs) and have been developed explicitly for different legislative requirements.
Download the Fire Hazard Ratings for Powerlines document (pdf 27k)
Order a Fire Hazard Ratings for Powerlines Interactive DVD-ROMCFA, MFB and Energy Safe Victoria have produced a DVD-ROM entitled Fire Hazard Ratings Assigned under the Electricity Safety Act 1998. CD-ROMs are also available for the West and East of the State. The DVD-ROM is interactive, and as well as providing background information, enables the user to locate a fire hazard rating for a particular parcel of land.
Copies of the DVD-ROM are available free of charge. Simply email your details here, including name, mailing address and postcode, and a DVD-ROM will be sent out to you.
Energy Safe Victoria (incorporating the former Office of
the Chief Electrical Inspector (OCEI))
www.esv.vic.gov.au
Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board (MFB)
www.mfb.org.au
Powercor Australia Ltd
www.powercor.com.au
SP AusNet (incorporating the former TXU)
www.sp-ausnet.com.au
Alinta Network Services Ltd
www.alinta.net.au
The Australian Gas Light Company (AGL) (through Agility
Management)
www.agility.net.au
Electricity Safety Act 1998
Electricity Safety (Installations) Regulations 1999
Electricity Safety (Bushfire Mitigation) Regulations 2003
Electricity Safety (Electric Line Clearance) Regulations
2005
