Bushfire risk is something we plan for well before summer arrives
Each year, as the Southern Hemisphere tilts toward summer and the land dries, the invisible threads of high-voltage infrastructure become something more fragile — and more dangerous. Transgrid, the operator of New South Wales' electricity transmission network, has launched a seven-month aerial survey using LiDAR technology to map vegetation encroachments around powerlines before fire season arrives. The campaign, running from February through September 2026, reflects a deepening understanding that resilience is built not in crisis but in the quiet months before one.
- Vegetation growing too close to live transmission lines can ignite or collapse the network during extreme fire conditions — a risk that compounds with every dry summer.
- Transgrid is deploying helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft equipped with LiDAR sensors to build precise 3D maps of the landscape surrounding powerlines, towers, and easements across the state.
- The campaign layers aerial sensor data with low-altitude visual inspections and high-resolution photography, giving engineers a multi-dimensional view of where the network is most vulnerable.
- Rather than treating all infrastructure equally, the data drives prioritization — dense vegetation near critical lines gets cleared first, stressed towers get flagged sooner.
- An interactive public map of the inspection schedule has been released, letting landowners and communities understand where work is planned and why it matters to them.
As Australia moves through its cooler months, Transgrid has begun a systematic aerial scan of its high-voltage transmission network — a seven-month effort designed to find hazards before the fire season makes them dangerous. Using helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft fitted with LiDAR sensors, the company is building three-dimensional maps of vegetation growth near powerlines, towers, and easements across the state. The work runs from February through September, deliberately timed so maintenance crews can act while conditions are still manageable.
Vegetation encroachment is the central concern. Trees and shrubs growing too close to live transmission lines can fall into wires during storms or ignite if lines arc under stress. The aerial LiDAR work is paired with visual inspections from low-flying helicopters and high-resolution photography reviewed by engineers on the ground — a layered approach that turns raw sensor data into actionable maintenance priorities. Sections with dense growth near critical lines are addressed first; towers showing signs of wear are flagged for closer attention.
Executive General Manager Jason Krstanoski frames the initiative as fundamentally preventative. Waiting until December, when fire conditions are extreme and crews are stretched thin, is a far riskier posture than addressing known vulnerabilities in the quieter months. To keep communities informed, Transgrid has published an interactive map showing where inspections are planned and when.
The data collected now will shape maintenance schedules through the fire season — directing crews to clear, reinforce, and repair based on what the sensors found. It is a bet placed in winter, whose outcome will only be known when summer arrives.
As summer approaches in Australia, Transgrid—the state's electricity network operator—has begun a methodical scan of its sprawling high-voltage transmission infrastructure. The seven-month campaign, which started in February and will run through September, deploys helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft equipped with LiDAR sensors to map the landscape around powerlines, towers, and easements with three-dimensional precision. The goal is straightforward: find trouble before the fire season arrives.
Vegetation encroachment is the particular threat. Trees and shrubs growing too close to live transmission lines create a dual hazard—they can fall into the wires during storms or high winds, and they can ignite if the lines arc or fail. By scanning the network now, during the cooler months, Transgrid can identify which sections need clearing, which towers need reinforcement, and where maintenance crews should focus their efforts when conditions are still manageable. The company pairs the aerial LiDAR work with visual inspections from low-flying helicopters and high-resolution photography that engineers review on the ground. This layered approach—sensor data, human observation, and detailed imagery—creates a comprehensive picture of network vulnerability.
Jason Krstanoski, Transgrid's Executive General Manager of Network, frames the work as preventative rather than reactive. "Bushfire risk is something we plan for well before summer arrives," he said. The logic is sound: waiting until December or January, when fire conditions are extreme and crews are stretched thin across the state, is far riskier than addressing known hazards in the quieter months. The company has made the inspection schedule public through an interactive online map, allowing landowners and communities to see where work is planned and understand the reasoning behind it.
The initiative reflects a broader shift in infrastructure management toward data-driven maintenance. Rather than inspecting the entire network on a fixed schedule regardless of actual conditions, Transgrid uses the LiDAR and visual data to prioritize. A section with dense vegetation growth near a critical transmission line gets attention sooner than a section with clear easements. A tower showing signs of stress gets flagged for closer inspection. This targeted approach means maintenance dollars are spent where they matter most.
Across the Tasman Sea, similar technology is being deployed for different purposes. New Zealand's Bay of Plenty Regional Council has been flying LiDAR-equipped helicopters along river channels in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, creating three-dimensional maps of riverbed topography and bank conditions. The work includes ground surveys to validate what the sensors detect. Niroy Sumeran, the council's Engineering Team Leader for the project, explains that understanding river behavior—how water flows, where erosion occurs, where assets are at risk—depends on precise elevation data. The same LiDAR technology that spots vegetation near powerlines can map the contours of a riverbed with centimeter-level accuracy.
For Transgrid, the real test comes in the months ahead. The data collected now will drive maintenance schedules through the fire season. Crews will clear vegetation, reinforce vulnerable sections, and repair aging infrastructure based on what the sensors found. The company is betting that this early, systematic approach will keep the lights on and the network safe when conditions turn dangerous. Whether that bet pays off will become clear when summer arrives.
Citações Notáveis
Bushfire risk is something we plan for well before summer arrives. Our aerial patrol program helps us identify potential issues early, prioritise maintenance and reduce risk across the network.— Jason Krstanoski, Executive General Manager of Network, Transgrid
Preventative maintenance is one of the most effective ways to reduce bushfire risk. These inspections help ensure we're doing the right work, in the right locations, at the right time.— Jason Krstanoski, Transgrid
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does Transgrid need to do this now, in winter? Can't they just respond to problems as they happen?
They could, but that's how you lose the network in a fire. If a tree falls on a line in January during extreme heat, the repair crew can't get there safely, and the outage cascades. By finding and fixing the problem in May, they avoid the crisis entirely.
So this is purely about preventing fires, or is there another angle?
It's also about keeping the system reliable. A transmission line that's constantly at risk of vegetation contact is a line that's stressed, that fails more often, that costs more to maintain. The LiDAR work is as much about efficiency as it is about safety.
How accurate is LiDAR at spotting vegetation that's actually dangerous?
Accurate enough to flag it, but not always accurate enough to say whether it needs cutting. That's why they pair the sensor data with helicopter visual inspections and ground surveys. The LiDAR gives you the map; the humans decide what the map means.
What happens if they find a lot of vegetation encroachment? Do they have the crews to handle it?
That's the real constraint. They've got seven months to identify the work and prioritize it. But the actual clearing and maintenance will stretch into summer. The interactive map they published is partly about managing expectations—showing communities that yes, we see the problem, and here's when we'll address it.
Is this something other utilities are doing, or is Transgrid ahead of the curve?
It's becoming standard practice for utilities in fire-prone regions. The technology is mature now, and the cost of a major outage during fire season is so high that the investment in prevention pays for itself quickly.