Tree touching power lines in Tasmania, Australia: who is responsible
TasNetworks, the electricity network business in Tasmania, publishes pages with a worked diagram of who clears vegetation near which line, the distances it gives, and a form for owners who receive a clearance letter. This page reports what those pages say.
This page is for tree owners. It reports what the named sources say and is not advice about your tree: for that, ask a qualified arborist or one of the offices under Who to call.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It describes the network business's own pages. Other Australian states and territories have their own regulators and rules, and none is covered here.
Who clears which line
The TasNetworks page Trees near powerlines says that in most cases vegetation inside a customer's property boundary is the customer's responsibility to keep a safe distance from the lines, and that vegetation on public land is maintained by the business to a safe distance. It explains this with four customers:
- Customer A clears vegetation inside their boundary that could affect any part of their service line.
- Customer B clears vegetation from Customer A's tree that has crossed the boundary and affected B's service line, and is responsible only for vegetation on their own property. The page says to speak with neighbours for a more permanent solution if regrowth continues.
- Customer C clears vegetation around their own service line inside their boundary, while the business maintains trees on Customer B's property that affect C's service line.
- Customer D clears vegetation inside their boundary, while the business maintains the tree affecting the distribution line outside the boundary.
The page says not all cases are shown and that clearance responsibilities for privately owned lines vary, and gives 1300 137 008 for anyone unsure.
Distances the page gives
| Situation | What the page says |
|---|---|
| Service line | The customer clears vegetation inside the boundary that could affect it. If trees or shrubs get within one metre of it, the page says the customer is not permitted to maintain them and must contact a qualified arborist, and an authorised contractor if vegetation is above the line. |
| Distribution line | The business maintains the clearance zone around its own distribution lines. As a general rule the zone is 3 metres, and with long spans or very tall trees it may clear vegetation completely. |
| Work on a property | No person, tool or equipment within 6.4 metres of a distribution line, and no part of the vegetation within 3 metres. |
| Planting | The page says to avoid planting any tree or shrub that could reach within 3 metres of a powerline, and gives 3.5 metres as a guide to the height of plants that should not go under powerlines. |
The page says trees within 1 m of a service line or 3 m of a distribution line must be handled by an authorised person, and that only authorised service providers work within 1 metre of the business's assets. The page Working a safe distance from powerlines says an authorised person completes unit UETDREL005 or UETDREL006, working safely near live electrical apparatus.
Reports, letters and fallen lines
The Trees near powerlines page gives 132 004 for trees or branches touching powerlines. The page Vegetation clearance response is a form for an owner who received a letter asking them to clear vegetation near powerlines, to say it was cleared or to lodge a dispute or enquiry, using the surname and case number on the letter. The page Staying a safe distance from powerlines says to keep 10 metres from fallen powerlines, to assume they are live, and to report them on 132 004 or to emergency services on 000.
Who to call
- 000: a fallen powerline, per the network business page
- TasNetworks, 132 004: trees or branches touching powerlines and fallen powerlines
- TasNetworks, 1300 137 008: owners unsure of their clearance responsibilities
- TasNetworks, vegetation clearance response form: reply to or dispute a clearance letter