Graeme Peters urges tree regulations review on Morning Report

Electricity Networks Association chief executive Graeme Peters emphasised the need for an urgent review of the Electricity (Hazards from Trees) Regulations 2003 when interviewed on Morning Report by Guyon Espiner this Wednesday morning (22/2/2023).

Estimating the electricity lines sector is facing an over $100 million bill to fix the damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle, Peters stated that of the over 100,000 consumers who lost power due to the cyclone, about half "could have been avoided if we had effective management around powerlines".

"At the moment we are really restricted in our capability to manage vegetation around powerlines," he said.

"And so what we would like is the Government to review the regulations on trees, so that we would have the capability to cut them back a little bit more around powerlines. At the moment they can grow to within half a metre of a line ... "