Energy Safety Victoria (ESV) has released nine compliance and enforcement priorities for this financial year, including bushfire mitigation and renewable energy.
ESV, Victoria’s independent energy safety regulator, oversees the safe delivery and maintenance of electricity, gas, renewable energy and pipelines.
ESV is highlighting these priorities to signal to the energy industry the key targets of our compliance and enforcement activities across the electricity, gas, renewable energy and pipeline sectors.
Three of the nine priorities are focused on bushfire mitigation including vegetation clearance around powerlines, power-pole management practices of major electricity companies and monitoring the implementation and operation of rapid earth fault current limiter (REFCL) rollout.
REFCLs were introduced into high bushfire risk areas to reduce the instances of catastrophic bushfire started by electrical assets.
When their rollout is complete they will play an important role in reducing bushfires caused by powerline faults.
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Two of the priorities focus on renewable energies, including solar panel installation, which continues to increase in line with the Victorian Government’s Solar Homes program.
The remaining four priorities address ESV’s continued focus on the safe delivery and maintenance of gas and electricity. These include gas appliance safety, licensed electrical worker compliance, electrical equipment and appliances safety and finally gas network strikes and pipeline encroachment.
“We’ve identified these areas as our biggest priorities as we work to keep Victorians safe from dangers associated with the generation, transmission and delivery of gas, electricity including from renewable sources,” ESV commissioner and chairperson Marnie Williams said.
“We’re flagging these priorities to the energy sector as our inspectors and regulatory staff clamp down during the 2021-22 financial year.
“Safety is our number one priority at ESV. We will never walk past an unsafe situation and will always act to prevent harm and ensure community safety in the electricity, gas and pipeline industries.”
