Electricity distributor AusNet announced last week it has spent almost $60 million on vegetation management and maintenance programs in the last 12 months, to prepare the network ready for summer.

AusNet Executive General Manager Distribution, Andrew Linnie, said it's important that the network is ready for severe weather events.

"This year across the AusNet network our Asset Inspectors, who assess AusNet's infrastructure to ensure it's safe, inspected over 117,744 poles. This work resulted in the identification and completion of 9495 maintenance jobs," said Mr Linnie.

"Our vegetation team, who are responsible for keeping trees away from powerlines, assessed 322,066 spans (spans being the area between two poles) across the AusNet network, identifying maintenance work that was undertaken on 69,250 spans.

"This work is essential to help keep the network and the community safe," said Mr Linnie.

He said the preparation work comes following a warning from Emergency Management Victoria (EMV) last week for the community to prepare for warmer temperatures and an increase in fire activity across the state this summer.

EMV advised that a lack of rainfall has resulted in an increased chance of fires across most of western and northeastern Victoria and parts of greater Melbourne, Mornington Peninsula and Southwest Gippsland.

"Summer is a particularly challenging time for electricity customers. On top of the bushfire risk, summer often brings with it intense thunderstorms that can damage infrastructure," said Mr Linnie.
Every summer, AusNet undertakes an awareness campaign to encourage Victorians to be power prepared, Mr Linnie said, and provides outage and energy saving tips so that people can better deal with the impact of potential power outages.

He stressed that AusNet is "particularly focused on helping customers plan for summer storms, which are becoming more frequent and severe as Victoria's climate changes".

AusNet is encouraging all Victorians to follow the tips on its website www.ausnetservices.com.au/powerprepared on how to be power prepared.

"One of the most important things customers can do is provide their contact details to their electricity retailer. The retailer will then pass these details on to AusNet, so that we can contact them during outages and emergencies.

"We also recommend customers bookmark or save AusNet's Outage Tracker on their phone or computer for easy reference: www.outagetracker.com.au.

"In the event of an outage, the tracker will provide customers with restoration times, helping them to plan," said Mr Linnie.

AusNet's electricity distribution network covers 80,000 square kilometres, which consists of 45,985 kilometres of overhead powerlines, 7908 kilometres of underground cables, 438,661 power poles and 106,000 streetlights.