AusNet, Melbourne, VIC Videos

We’ve been taking a gander at a serious issue affecting birdlife in the Gippsland area. A concerned Sale resident, who lives in a wetlands area popular with swans, eagles, pelicans and other large birds, reported earlier that birds were becoming injured or dying after flying into our transmission lines. Our Field Operations team flocked out to investigate and find solutions. They installed bird diverters, reflective discs or tags attached to powerlines at certain intervals. As the sun reflects onto the discs, it draws attention to the lines and helps birds see and avoid them. You can see these bird diverters in action in the short video below. One of our Senior Lines Engineers also began developing a birdproof overhead line design for our 66kV powerlines. This includes a pole-top arrangement to help protect swans and large birds, bird divertors on phase conductors and eco-friendly crossarm bird spikes. The concerned resident hasn’t seen any more inured birds since the diverters were installed and has witnessed birds adjusting their flight paths to fly above the powerlines. This is great news for our feathered friends but also for our customers in the Gippsland area. Not only are the birds being kept safe, reducing bird contact on powerlines also reduces the likelihood of outages!

Right plant in the right place
Happy National Tree Day! 🌳 Get involved in Australia's largest community tree-planting event. Established in 1996 by Planet Ark, the day is a call to action for everyone to go outside, get their hands dirty and give back to their community by planting some trees. We recommend indigenous plants – ones that grow naturally in your area – because they: - have adapted to the soils and climate - have reasonably predictable growth rates - need less maintenance, like pruning and fertilising - help prevent soil degradation - attract native birds, animals, and plants - help maintain the local ecosystem. But before you bring out the shovel, take a leaf out of our book and watch our guide for the right plant in the right place. For more info, visit: https://www.ausnetservices.com.au/safety/vegetation-and-powerline-clearance/planting-near-powerlines?fbclid=IwAR15Wf5BEM7WOtfh3ERl3L_es2dpVectEQ-iKWydWN4KvG3-2mXZDx7Q8t4

Right plant in the right place
Ever wonder how close is too close when planting trees near powerlines? Before you bring out the shovel, take a leaf out of our book and watch our guide for the right plant in the right place. For more info, visit: https://www.ausnetservices.com.au/safety/vegetation-and-powerline-clearance/planting-near-powerlines

Out with the old and in with the new! We’re bidding adieu to this transformer at the Upwey Zone Substation after almost 90 years of reliable service – what an innings! This transformer will now be recycled, with its new replacement up and running since March. This is all part of our broader REFCL works, which help protect the community from bushfires.

Hi Seymour 👋 Did you know our REFCL system in your area detected over 80 faults last year - potentially avoiding that many fires from starting? Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiters (REFCLs) act like a giant safety switch on our electricity network. It cuts power within a tenth of a second if a powerline falls. We’re installing them in 22 high bushfire-risk areas across eastern Victoria to keep our communities safe. Find out more about this leading-edge technology: www.ausnetservices.com.au/refcl

Hi Rubicon 👋 Did you know our REFCL system detected over 40 faults in Rubicon last year – potentially avoiding that many fires from starting? Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiters (REFCLs) act like a giant safety switch on our electricity network. It cuts power within a tenth of a second if a powerline falls. We’re installing them in 22 high bushfire-risk areas across eastern Victoria to keep our communities safe. Find out more about this leading-edge bushfire reduction technology: www.ausnetservices.com.au/refcl

Hi Ringwood 👋 Did you know our REFCL system in your area detected almost 50 faults last year - potentially avoiding that many fires from starting? Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiters (REFCLs) act like a giant safety switch on our electricity network. It cuts power within a tenth of a second if a powerline falls. We’re installing them in 22 high bushfire-risk areas across eastern Victoria to keep our communities safe. Find out more about this leading-edge technology: www.ausnetservices.com.au/refcl

Hi Myrtleford 👋 Did you know our REFCL system detected over 30 faults in Myrtleford last year – potentially avoiding that many fires from starting? Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiters (REFCLs) act like a giant safety switch on our electricity network. It cuts power within a tenth of a second if a powerline falls. We’re installing them in 22 high bushfire-risk areas across eastern Victoria to keep our communities safe. Find out more about this leading-edge bushfire reduction technology: www.ausnetservices.com.au/refcl

Hi Bairnsdale 👋 Did you know our REFCL system detected over 27 faults in Bairnsdale last year – potentially avoiding that many fires from starting? Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiters (REFCLs) act like a giant safety switch on our electricity network. It cuts power within a tenth of a second if a powerline falls. We’re installing them in 22 high bushfire-risk areas across eastern Victoria to keep our communities safe. Find out more about this leading-edge bushfire reduction technology: www.ausnetservices.com.au/refcl

Are you power prepared?

Are you power prepared?

Are you power prepared?

Hello Mansfield Our crews are currently patrolling the lines to locate the fault but are also being delayed in their efforts to access damaged infrastructure due to floodwaters. This video taken late this afternoon by one of our crews. We will repost as soon as we have an update for your area. If you still have power, it’s time to get power prepared: www.ausnetservices.com.au/powerprepared Report any electrical faults on our 24/7 faults and emergencies number: 13 17 99. If you are a life support customer call our 24/7 priority line on 1800 818 832. Keep track of restoration times here: www.outagetracker.com.au Stay safe. Avoid flooded areas. Be aware of potential hazards caused by flooding and never enter floodwaters.

Victorian Big Battery
Did you know Victoria has one of the largest batteries in the world? Partnering with NeoEn, the Victorian Big Battery connects into our transmission network to power more of the state with renewable energy, improving reliability & resilience across the grid. Watch the video to learn more:

REFCL Explainer
Our REFCL team have reached an exciting milestone! More than 18,000 kms of our network are now protected by Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiters (REFCL). A recent report from the Victorian Government found this cutting-edge bushfire prevention technology reduces the risk of powerline fires by 44%. This program will continue into 2022 and will help to protect some of the most bushfire prone areas in Victoria. Our REFCL program is just one of the ways we’re working to keep the community safe and the power flowing. Find out when REFCL is being installed near you: https://bit.ly/3fzMrEI Learn more about how we prepare for summer: https://bit.ly/3lqSoat