Tree touching power lines in Victoria, Australia: who is responsible

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It describes the regulator's own pages. Other Australian states and territories have their own regulators and rules, and none is covered here.

What the regulator says in general

The Energy Safe Victoria page Managing trees near powerlines, reviewed in January 2026, says trees and shrubs near powerlines are a safety risk that can bring fires, blackouts or power surges, and that every tree must be kept clear of powerlines and electricity infrastructure. It says that where trees touch or are near powerlines, the owner can ask the local council or electricity distribution company for advice, or hire a tree removal specialist or arborist. It says only authorised powerline pruning contractors should prune trees touching or close to powerlines. It says minimum safe distances are set by regulations 614 and 616 of the Electricity Safety (General) Regulations 2019, and that vegetation management workers can be exempt from them if they meet conditions, including holding a training certificate approved by the regulator.

Who clears which line

The Energy Safe Victoria page Trees and vegetation FAQ, reviewed in March 2026, sets out who is responsible in several cases:

for trees around powerlines on the nature strip, either the electricity distribution business or the local council, and the business or council can say which;
for a tree growing on a person's property, clearing it around powerlines outside the property boundary, and around any service line connecting a neighbouring property, is the distribution business's responsibility;
for a tree on a person's property, clearing it around the service line that connects to their own house is that person's responsibility, and the page says to clear trees and shrubs before they come within one metre of that line in any direction;
for a tree or powerline thought unsafe, the page says the electricity distribution business for the area must be contacted.

The page says which distribution business applies depends on where the person lives, and refers readers to a state government tool for finding it.

A tree on a powerline

The FAQ page says even fallen or broken powerlines can conduct electricity and should be considered dangerous, that a person does not have to touch a powerline to receive an electric shock, and that readers should keep at least 8 to 10 metres away from fallen powerlines. It says to call 000 if lives are in danger, and that all incidents involving trees and powerlines are to be reported to the distribution business. It says the business checks trees in Hazardous Bushfire Risk Areas typically at least once every year, and in Low Bushfire Risk Areas typically once every one to three years.

Notice, hazard trees and disputes

The regulator's brochure Powerlines and vegetation management says councils and distribution businesses must prepare and publish an annual Electric Line Clearance Management Plan, and that property owners are responsible for keeping vegetation clear of low voltage powerlines on their land but do not need to produce a plan. It says that under normal conditions notice is given at least 14 days and not more than 60 days before work starts, in writing or in a local newspaper. It says unresolved matters with a distribution business can be referred to the Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria), and unresolved matters with a council to the regulator. It says a hazard tree that is likely to fall onto a line may be cut or removed by the person responsible for the clearance space once a suitably qualified arborist has assessed and confirmed it as hazardous. It says trees within a property near the lines in the street are the distribution company's responsibility, and gives the clearances as 1 m for an insulated service line and 2 m for a bare wire service line.

Worker pages

The Managing trees near powerlines page links a brochure on powerlines and vegetation management, and a separate page for tree industry workers. The guide on working near power lines lists what regulators say about distances for tree workers, including this regulator's No Go Zone rules.

Who to call

000: a fallen or broken powerline where lives are in danger, per the regulator's FAQ
Your electricity distribution business: an unsafe tree or powerline, and trees near lines outside a property boundary
Your local council: trees around powerlines on the nature strip, with the distribution business
Energy Safe Victoria line clearance team: advice on the line clearance rules; the page gives its phone number