Victorian Consolidated Legislation

Electricity Safety Act 1998 - SECT 84

Requirement to maintain line

84. Requirement to maintain line



(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), an occupier of land above or below
the surface of which there is a private electric line is responsible for
maintenance of the line.

(2) Subject to subsections (4), (5) and (6), an occupier of land is
responsible for the keeping of the whole or any part of a tree situated on the
land clear of-

   (a)  a low voltage electric line which solely services that land; and

   (b)  a private electric line which is on land which is contiguous to the
        land of the occupier.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2), an occupier of land may enter onto the
contiguous land and there perform any acts necessary to keep the tree clear of
the line.

(4) Subject to subsection (5), a person responsible for the management of
public land in an area declared under section 81 is responsible for the
keeping of the whole or any part of a tree situated on the land clear of an
electric line other than a private electric line.

(5) Any person (other than a distribution company) that owns or operates an
electric line is responsible for the keeping of the whole or any part of a
tree clear of the electric line.

(6) The Roads Corporation is responsible for the keeping of the whole or any
part of a tree which is situated in a rural area on a plantation established
by the Roads Corporation or any predecessor of the Roads Corporation on a
freeway or arterial road within the meaning of the Road Management Act 2004
clear of an electric line (other than a private electric line or an electric
line that is owned or operated by a transmission company) above or below the
surface of land.

(7) If there is no responsible person under subsection (2), (4), (5) or (6),
the relevant distribution company is responsible for the keeping of the whole
or any part of a tree clear of an electric line, except an electric line
installed or used by a person pursuant to an Act of the Commonwealth.