Telegraph Pole Replacement Bushfire Recovery

When the fires ripped through Batemans Bay and the South Coast, much infastructure was burned along with the bush. This massive job involved swinging a new 150 metre section of 4 x 95mm overhead cable to supply the Optus Transmission Tower in Tomakin. A big tree fell and bought the cable down during the fires. Telegraph poles were burned or damaged by the intense heat of the fires and all this has to be replaced as part of the recovery efforts. We have been busy in these remote locations fixing fallen power lines, installing new poles and restoring power to the local people and businesses.

Some of the locations of the fallen and damaged poles is extremely difficult to reach and we were grateful for our 4WD vehicles which allowed us to drive along some of the tracks which have not been used for some time. We did get bogged along the way but our team banded together to get the vehicle out and get us back on our way.

Bushfire Recovery

So many animals and homes were lost during the fires, and many homes and businesses still didn't have power connected due to power lines being damaged during the inferno. We went out into those areas that regular vehicles cannot reach and did the necessary repairs and replacements so that power could be restored to residents and businesses.

Since we are a level 2 provider, we are able to work on power lines and this is why were assigned this specialist job. As you can see from the photos our team successfully added new poles which are made of metal which makes them harder to burn if fires return. 

This massive job involved swinging a new 150 metre section of 4 x 95mm overhead cable to supply the Optus Transmission Tower in Tomakin. A big tree fell and bought the cable down during the fires.

We successfully completed the job and managed to get out of the area without getting bogged again.

Power Pole Damage During Bushfires

Recent bushfires have done significant damage to power distribution lines in both New South Wales and Victoria, which left several thousand homes in a state of blackout. This includes some Optus towers, which sustained heavy damage and left many of these same homes without the ability to contact authorities.

In an electrical network, overhead power lines carry a live electrical current through a series of pole-mounted conductors and insulators. When high-voltage transmission is necessary, metal poles are preferred. However, wooden poles are widely used in cities, bushlands, and suburbs alike.

It’s also important for citizens to remember that all  fallen powerlines  should be treated as “live,” meaning that they potentially carry a current strong enough to harm or even kill. This means people should stay at least eight meters away from any wires that have fallen to the ground, appear damaged, or are making contact with trees, water pipes, and fences.