Our annual aerial inspection program provides a bird’s eye view of our network and allows us to identify faults, potential defects and trees that are too close and causing a risk to our network.
Helicopter patrols are an important part of our overall network maintenance program and bushfire mitigation strategy.
2024 aerial inspection program
Our 2024 helicopter inspections will be conducted from 8 March – 5 April, weather permitting.
We will cover roughly around 1200 kilometres of overhead powerlines and inspect for vegetation encroaching on powerlines. The helicopter will fly at 1000 feet above urban and rural areas. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology is used to determine the distance between powerlines and trees with minimal hovering.
The suburbs we’ll be flying over this year are:
Ainslie, Aranda, Belconnen, Bonython, Bruce, Calwell, Campbell, Chapman, Canberra Airport, Chifley, Chisholm, Cook, Coree, Cotter River, Curtain, Deakin, Duffey, Evatt, Fadden, Farrer, Fisher, Fraser, Fyshwick, Garran, Gilmore, Giralang, Gungahlin, Hackett, Hall, Hawker, Higgins, Holder, Holt, Hughes, Hume, Issacs, Jerrabomberra, Kaleen, Kambah, Kingston, Kowen, Lyneham, Lyons, Macarthur, Macnamara, Majura, Mckellar, Mitchell, Molongolo Valley, Narrabundah, Nicholls, Oaks Estate, O’Connor, Paddys River, Palmerston, Pearce, Pialligo, Red Hill, Rivett, Spence, Stromlo, Sutton, Symonston, Tennent, Tharwa, The Angle, Theodore, Torrens, Tuggeranong, Uriarra Village, Wallaroo, Waramanga, Weetangera, Weston, Weston Creek, Williamsdale and Woden Valley.
What to expect from our helicopter:
Weather permitting, the patrols generally fly between working hours (8am and 4pm). They start early so they can get two flying sessions in a day and avoid potential bad weather in the afternoon. We try to avoid flying on weekends, however if time has been lost due to bad weather, it may be required.
The helicopter has had noise reduction modifications, and our LiDAR technology means it does not need to hover or turn around a lot.
What we do after the inspections:
Vegetation management work is prioritised on a scale from immediate response to reactively clear to no action required/monitor. Using the information gathered from our helicopter patrols, we will prioritise vegetation trimming in this way to ensure the continued safety and reliability of our network.
Check trees in your yard:
In the ACT, homeowners and occupiers are responsible for keeping trees clear of powerlines on their property. You don’t have to wait for us to send you a notification to trim your trees – we recommend you check trees on your property to check they’re not too close to powerlines, or if they might be getting close. For more information on vegetation management in the ACT, see our Trees and Powerlines page.
An example of the LiDAR images the helicopter takes. The purple lines indicate our powerlines, and the green areas are trees.