Keeping watch: Powercor's Helicopters will be using LiDAR to scan for vegetation near powerlines in Echuca over the next few weeks. The Echuca Uniting Church is seen on the right.
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Helicopters will be scanning powerlines in Echuca over the next few weeks as part of Powercor’s year-round bushfire mitigation and vegetation management program.
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The helicopters will also fly over Kerang and Boort about 300 metres above the ground.
They use a technology known as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) to scan the distance between tree branches and powerlines.
Using the LiDAR data, Powercor teams create 3D models of powerlines and their surroundings, helping to inform what vegetation needs to be cut.
LiDAR technology: This is a different shot of Echuca on High St where the Echuca Chocolate Company can be seen on the corner.
Powercor’s Head of Vegetation Management, Ayce Cordy, said the extensive vegetation management program was about keeping power safe and reliable for homes and businesses.
“Our work is about reducing the risk of trees and branches coming into contact with powerlines, which can lead to power outages and fires,” he said.
“These flights are just part of our extensive work to keep the network safe and reliable for our communities.”
Safety: Helicopters will be equipped with laser technology to keep the community safe. This is another angle of the Echuca Uniting Church.
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Each year, Powercor uses a fleet of three helicopters to inspect 100 per cent of 77,000 kilometres of powerlines across western Victoria.
During 2023, teams cut more than 500,000 trees and shrubs growing near more than 50,000 powerline spans.
Since 2022, Powercor has increased its cutting resources by 60 per cent across the network.
Last year, Powercor’s vegetation team conducted a second vegetation inspection in the highest bushfire risk areas to help inform any further cutting that may need to occur ahead of summer.
For more information, call Powercor’s media line on 03 9683 4342.
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