Small business

Private power pole maintenance

Power poles in Tasmania
Private power poles are your responsibility
Aurora's maintenance routine
Maintenance tips for all poles
Further information and contacts

Power poles in Tasmania

Throughout Tasmania there are around 283,000 power poles. They are made from a variety of materials including:

treated hardwood
natural hardwood
steel and concrete
fabricated steel
spun concrete
steel section.

Private power poles are your responsibility

There are around 65,000 poles that are privately owned. A private pole will generally have a yellow "Private Pole" tag attached. This means that the pole is the responsibility of the owner.

Aurora inspects all poles up to the metered point including some private poles. It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that the poles beyond the metered point are inspected and kept in serviceable condition.

Aurora's maintenance routine

Most deterioration of poles occurs in the first 200 mm below ground level as this soil normally contains enough oxygen and moisture to promote fungi and rust.

Treated hardwood poles (Koppers)

These are the most common and the preferred type and have an expected life in excess of 40 years. Aurora personnel inspect these poles every three years to determine their condition above and below ground. They determine the depth of any external rot. The extent of the internal heart rot is measured and this information is used to calculate the remaining strength in the pole. When the pole strength is below a predetermined figure the pole is deemed unserviceable.

Natural hardwood poles

These have been used in the past and can have a life expectancy of as little as seven years. Most of these are privately owned and were of unknown species when installed. Natural hardwood poles need to be larger in diameter than treated hardwood poles because the sapwood deteriorates very quickly both above and below ground. You should ensure that all sapwood is removed below ground level as this will rot within a very short period of time.

Aurora personnel inspect natural hardwood poles every three years to determine their condition above and below ground.

Steel poles

Life expectancy is in excess of 20 years but this is dependent on ground and service conditions.

Aurora inspects steel poles every three years. The inspector looks for signs of rust and galvanising degradation. Round and square sectioned steel poles are normally installed in concrete with a layer of Denso Tape (oil-impregnated cloth) extending above and below the ground. This tape inhibits the rate of corrosion at the ground line.

Maintenance tips for all poles

You can contribute to the life of the pole and assist in the inspection process by carrying out regular weed and bush removal around its base.
Be warned that regular whipper-snipping around the base of a steel pole can remove the galvanising, so be careful as this may significantly reduce its life.
Do not whipper-snip around underground cables terminated on the pole.
Keep vegetation from growing up into the overhead lines.
Report any problems relating to the pole such as significant leaning, nuts and bolts missing, steelwork hanging loosely, wires too close to the ground, and broken insulators or wires.
Do not build up the ground around the pole base, as in a garden feature, because this hinders pole inspection and will need to be removed at the next inspection cycle.

Further information and contacts

You can view further information on private power poles or powerlines on our website. Alternatively, you can phone the Aurora Customer Service Centre on 1300 13 2003 or contact us via our customer feedback form.