Under Section 80 of the Electricity Safety Act 1998, CFA assigns “low” and “high” fire hazard ratings for electric lines to parcels of land in the country area of Victoria.
The classification of low and high risk areas aims to safeguard life and property by preventing overhead electric line-related ignitions.
Fire Hazard Ratings for Electric lines
CFA maintains a GIS data base that shows the Low Bushfire Rated Areas (LBRA) and the High Bushfire Rated Areas (HBRA) in relation to electric lines. If you need information about if your property is rated as High or Low please send us an email, with your name, address and contact details. For Local Government and Power Companies please note that the LBRA GIS data layer is available for download on the Data.Vic. website, Low Bushfire Rating Areas. For any inquires please send us an email, with your name and contact details.
Where are the rating classifications used?
The ratings are used to identify low and hazardous bushfire risk areas for the Electricity Safety (Electric Line Clearance) Regulations 2020, Electricity Safety (Installations) Regulations 2019 and Electricity Safety (Bushfire Mitigation) Regulations 2020.
How does a rating affect an area?
It can affect the extent of vegetation clearance adjacent to overhead electric lines. Authorities responsible for the overhead electric lines include electricity distribution businesses, municipal councils and private land owners.
It can also affect overhead electric lines on private land. Under the Electricity Safety (Installations) Regulations 2019, a private electric line needing substantial reconstruction must be replaced underground, if sitting in hazardous bushfire risk area categorisation. Private electric lines in low bushfire risk area are exempt from this requirement.
Fire hazard ratings for electric lines contrasts significantly with other risk mapping assessments and has been developed explicitly for its legislative requirements.
Page last updated: Thursday, 26 October 2023 4:19:57 PM