Western Australia usually experiences an extended period of intense summer conditions between December and March. During this period many areas within Western Power's network are prone to the windy, hot, dry conditions, which can fuel bushfires.
Each year Western Power develops and publishes its Bushfire Management Plan (PDF 436KB). This document outlines a best practice approach to reducing the risk and impact of bushfires around Western Power' network. In evaluating risk and impact we consider safety, financial, community and business consequences.
Western Power's objectives are to reduce the risk of public and employee injury, minimise damage to third party and Western Power assets and to maintain compliance with all relevant legislation.
The plan establishes a framework of policies, processes, strategies and accountabilities to manage this risk.
There are a number of strategies that Western Power employs to protect areas within the network that are considered to be of extreme or high bushfire risk. These include:
Pole-top fires, which are caused by a build-up of dust and other pollution, are a potential cause of bushfires. Washing the lines is one solution but applying a coating of silicone to the insulators is the most effective way of preventing pole-top fires. After the lines are washed, the silicone coating is sprayed onto the insulators using a gun attached to a compressor pump. The silicone then acts like a gel absorbing the moisture, dust and pollution.
When conductors (the metal powerlines that 'conduct' electricity along themselves) clash this can cause sparks, which have the potential to start a bushfire. Western Power identifies critical areas and uses a number of strategies to prevent conductors clashing including erecting intermediate poles to reduce the line length between poles, fitting spreaders to the lines and re-tensioning powerline "bays" (the length between two poles).
Western Power has a targeted program for managing vegetation growing close to its powerlines, based on the level of bushfire risk. Activities undertaken include controlled burning, vegetation clearance and maintenance in extreme and high fire risk areas, which is completed by 1 December each year.
An important part of Western Power's safety and maintenance program are aerial patrols, which are used to undertake inspections of powerlines in high and extreme fire risk areas. Helicopters fly the length of powerlines to inspect their condition. With high-tech GPS enabled video cameras these inspections can capture any imminent problems along hundreds of kilometres of rural powerlines.
We have a number of other strategies to minimise the risk of bushfires. These include network mapping, a maintenance strategy and technology improvements.
We map our network to determine the level of fire risk based on the location of Western Power infrastructure, habitation, geographical contours and the areas where controlled burning has recently been undertaken or where there have been recent bushfires. This information is then used to prioritise future maintenance works.
The main preventative maintenance strategy used by Western Power is a program of line inspection and condition monitoring. We inspect poles, as well as underground cabling and overhead wiring to ensure that the condition of these do not present a bushfire risk, particularly in high fire risk areas.
Western Power continually investigates and introduces design and equipment improvements and new technologies that are low bushfire risk or fire resistant.
Manager Network Performance
Western Power
GPO Box L921
PERTH WA 6842
Phone: 08 9326 6292
Online: feedback form
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Page update on 25 August 2008
