Following the devastating Black Saturday bushfires in 2009, the Victorian Government established the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. It was to consider how bushfires can be better prevented and managed in the future. The Commission observed that powerlines and electricity infrastructure caused many of the major bushfires in 2009 (contributing to 159 of the 173 bushfire-related deaths), as well as earlier major bushfires.
In response to the Royal Commission’s report and recommendations, the Victorian Government established the Powerline Bushfire Safety Program (PBSP). The $750 million program of works had to deliver improvements to reduce the risk of Victorian powerlines causing catastrophic bushfires.
Royal Commission
These documents informed the establishment of the Powerline Bushfire Safety Program:
- Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission: Electricity
- Response to Powerline Bushfire Safety Taskforce (PBST)
Research and Development
A $10 million investment in research and development into best proven technologies available to help produce practical and enduring solutions to support efforts to reduce bushfire risk. Documents as follows:
- Broken SWER Conductor Research Report: Victoria University
- EFD SWER Trial Final Report: IND Technology
- PBSP Risk Reduction Model Report: CSIRO
- PB Report: indicative costs for replacing SWER lines
- Vegetation Conduction Ignition Test Report
- Covered Conductor Research Report: Groundline Engineering
- REFCL reports
Regulations
These documents include details of legislative and regulatory reforms that have been introduced in Victoria to establish a long-term legacy of higher safety standards and support industry and regulatory practice improvements towards further gains in community safety:
- Electrical Safety (Bushfire Mitigation) Regulations: regulatory impact statement
- Regulatory consultation
- Electrical Safety Act 1998
- Electrical Safety (Bushfire Mitigation) Regulations 2013
- Electrical Safety (Bushfire Mitigation) Amended Regulations 2016
- Electrical Safety (Bushfire Mitigation) Civil Penalties 2017
- F-factor Incentive Scheme
Page last updated: 03/08/20