As the owner and operator of the electricity transmission and distribution network in Tasmania, TasNetworks is responsible for delivering reliable electricity supply to more than 295,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers. In order to maintain this complex infrastructure, the company must engage partners it can trust. With over a decade of experience working on the ground in Tasmania, Zinfra has the proven expertise required to get the job done safely and efficiently.
Since its inception in 2014, TasNetworks has entrusted Zinfra to deliver a range of works across the state, from distribution maintenance to major substation and transmission projects.
As part of an ongoing program, Zinfra undertakes a variety of activities that ensure the reliability of TasNetworks’ transmission and distribution networks.
A dedicated and capable workforce
The continued partnership with TasNetworks is a testament to Zinfra’s dedicated Tasmanian workforce, many of whom have been with the company for a long time.
Matt Hanigan, Zinfra’s Operations Manager Tasmania, said, “The working relationship with TasNetworks and other partners we’ve built over the journey within Tasmania allows us to put a good quality submission to TasNetworks and instil confidence that we have all the necessary knowledge and relationships in place to achieve successful outcomes of the projects.”
With a track record of meeting timelines and outage periods, Zinfra has proven its capabilities to deliver a wide range of projects.
“The fact that we have an in-depth knowledge of the electricity network and environment in Tasmania is important. We’re able to work with TasNetworks on outage planning and come up with efficient plans for delivering work with minimal disruption to residential, industrial and other major customers.
“In this industry, each project comes with its own unique challenges, however I believe we have the right people with the creative attitude to come up with the best way to deliver these works,” Mr Hanigan explained.
Proven commitment to safety
From investing in the right equipment, to continually adapting and improving health and safety management plans, Zinfra works closely with TasNetworks to keep crews safe while they’re working.
“We haven’t had a significant incident in the three years that I’ve been with the business and I can’t recall when the last one was. That’s a huge positive for us,” Mr Hanigan stated.
Having a strong safety record in Tasmania has been integral in maintaining a partnership with TasNetworks that is built on trust and longevity.
“The safety KPIs that we’ve created for our business exceed what our clients expect from us.
“We have a local safety representative who works with us in Tassie, to ensure that we’re focusing on the right areas. We put effort into guaranteeing our field workers are getting the support and equipment they need and are doing the right thing.”
Zinfra also organises quarterly safety days, dedicating sessions to specific areas such as safe driving practices or the importance of mental health.
“It’s not just about physical safety, it’s psychological safety as well. Zinfra has a big focus on staff wellbeing and it’s one of the reasons why people love working for us, because safety is our priority.”
Ongoing partnership
Zinfra’s continued involvement in TasNetworks’ distribution maintenance activities reflects the company’s capability in navigating the unique challenges of Tasmania’s power infrastructure.
Adam Curtis, Zinfra’s Program Manager Tasmania, explained, “We deliver a range of maintenance works, including condemned asset replacements, bushfire mitigation and even measures to prevent bird interference. When possible we try to package works together to reduce our environmental footprint and deliver efficiencies to our client and their customers.
“We’ve also been involved in a number of projects for the Department of State Growth, who are responsible for managing Tasmania’s road network. A lot of that has involved relocating power lines in preparation for road widening or highway developments.
“In addition to our daily planned works, we also assist TasNetworks with Fault and Emergency works when requested. These works are often caused by extreme weather events and involve the crews working in some very testing conditions”, Mr Curtis said.
Substation upgrade success
Beyond the distribution program, Zinfra has delivered several major transmission substation projects across Tasmania.
Recently, Zinfra completed the Port Latta Transformer Replacement in the northwest of the state. The six-month long project saw the replacement of two 110kV to 22kV transformers.
Andrew Hadley, Zinfra’s Project Manager, said, “As a major industry connected substation, outage durations are critical, so adequate planning is essential to the successful delivery of projects of this nature.
“Meeting these outages timeframes was critical to project success. With the industry activity supplied via Port Latta substation, activities such as planned bulk export ship loadings cannot be delayed.”
Other projects include switchboard upgrades at Ulverstone and Railton, focusing on the 22kV switchgear within these stations. Zinfra also recently completed works with TasNetworks at Emu Bay Substation, which involved an upgrade from a 11kV system to a 22kV system.
“There’s a lot that goes into these projects beyond the electrical side,” Mr Hadley said.
“The Emu Bay Substation project involved substantial building works in and alongside all the electrical works, including expanding the size of the yard, and whole new bus sections of switchgear for new auto transformers to be installed.”
Working within an incredibly high-risk industry means safety must be the top priority, particularly when dealing with older electrical equipment.
In particular, switchgear installations demand precise coordination to mitigate safety risks and prevent power disruptions. These projects also often occur in confined spaces, making manoeuvrability difficult. Having delivered a number of these projects successfully, Zinfra has earned a reputation as the experts in switchgear upgrades.
Mr Hadley further explained that, “There’s a lot of older switchgear that is non-arc-fault-containing, so there’s significant risks working alongside live sections.
“Even though it’s fully enclosed switchgear in metal boxes and it’s all relatively safe, the casings themselves don’t actually contain the arc-faults. So, if there was a fault while we were working alongside it, there’s fairly severe consequences.
“Zinfra have developed work practices in consultation with our experienced project, construction and site managers to allow us to safely work in and around this non arc-fault contained equipment. We’ve also invested in equipment that allows us to do it in a safe and efficient way.”
Whether it’s ongoing maintenance or significant upgrades, Zinfra’s continued involvement with TasNetworks reflects the company’s commitment to delivering reliable power supply to communities across Tasmania.
Featured image: Power line works underway. Image credit: Zinfra.
