Funding is now available for residents in Victoria’s north-east and north-west to apply to have overhead powerlines that connect their property to roadside power poles buried underground. This should help protect their homes from the risk of bushfire.
Hundreds of bare-wire private overhead powerlines are currently being replaced across the state as part of the Victorian Government’s $200million Powerline Replacement Fund.
Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio, announced that funding is now available to residents living in Ararat, Baw Baw, Southern Grampians, Wangaratta and Wodonga to move their powerlines underground.
Ms D’Ambrosio, said, “We’re working hard to protect Victorians from the risk of bushfire by replacing dangerous powerlines in high risk areas – and I encourage residents to make their properties safer by applying for this government assistance.”
“We have already replaced dangerous overhead powerlines in 25 areas across the state and will finish work in another eight high risk areas by the end of the year.”
Property owners in these areas with privately owned bare-wire overhead electric lines are encouraged to apply to have the lines on their properties replaced and buried undergrounded.
The Government will pay for replacement works for eligible owners under the Powerline Replacement Fund.
The fund is part of the Government’s $750million 10-year Powerline Bushfire Safety Program, which was developed in response to the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission to give Victoria the most bushfire safe power network in Australia.
To date, more than 70kms of bare-wire private powerlines have been replaced and work is currently underway to replace a further 30kms.
