Electricity Safety (Bushfire Mitigation) Regulations 2023

This instrument is built around a set of definitional and operational concepts that determine scope and technical effect. The starting point is the distinction between "specified operators" and "major electricity companies" which attract different levels of prescription (regs 6 and 7). The term "at‑risk electric lines" appears in the plan prescriptions (regs 6(g), 6(h)); regulators will treat plan boundaries and mapping as central (reg 6(g), reg 7(1)(h)).

Key technical concepts are defined in regulation 5. "Required capacity" is a technical performance metric expressed as voltage reduction targets at the corresponding zone substation following a phase‑to‑ground fault, with explicit numeric thresholds and time windows: for high impedance faults 250 volts within 2 seconds; for low impedance faults, 1900 volts within 85 milliseconds, 750 volts within 500 milliseconds and 250 volts within 2 seconds (reg 5 definition). The "I2t" metric is also defined for diagnostic testing on high impedance faults, including limits on fault current and thermal energy (reg 5). The Regulations cross‑refer to statutory definitions in the Electricity Safety Act 1998 and to terminology in the Electricity Safety (General) Regulations 2019 for terms such as "bare open wire" and "low voltage" (reg 5).

Spatial concepts appear in the instrument. "Electric line construction area" is a very specific set of land parcels shown in Central Plan Office plans LEGL./16‑199 to LEGL./16‑231 (reg 5). The Regulations also use the legally declared "fire danger period" and "total or partial fire ban day" from the Country Fire Authority Act 1958, to condition operation and maintenance plans (reg 5 definitions; regs 6(l), 7(1)(r)).

Inspection regimes depend on classification of risk areas. Private electric lines and parts of major companies’ networks located in hazardous bushfire risk areas must be inspected at intervals not exceeding 37 months; other areas may be inspected at intervals not exceeding 61 months (reg 7(1)(o); reg 10). The inspection standards are directly‑prescribed and include items about spreaders, clearances and pole condition. The Regulations provide a transitional arrangement with different clearance standards applying before and after 16 December 2023; before that date compliance is with AS/NZS 3000 Table 3.8 and after that date insulated/unsheathed live conductors and neutral‑screened cables must meet regulatory clearances in regulation 12 (reg 11(1)(f)(i)-(ii), reg 11(1)(g)(i)-(ii), reg 12).

The instrument creates an administrative interface with Energy Safe Victoria: training courses for inspectors must be approved by Energy Safe Victoria (regs 6(j), 7(p)), major companies must report testing results to Energy Safe Victoria before the specified bushfire risk period (reg 7(1)(t)(vii)), and Energy Safe Victoria may grant written exemptions with conditions (reg 15). Public transparency is limited to certain plan items for major companies (reg 8).

Finally, "private electric lines" are subject to inspection but the Regulations exclude prescribed parts that are installed after the point of connection to a building or structure (reg 9). The process for inspection includes a legislated notice period to occupiers (not more than 45 days and not less than 21 days; reg 13) and a prescribed form set out in Schedule 2 (reg 14).

These concepts determine who must do what, where, and to what technical standard. They link statutory duties to specific asset‑level requirements such as Automatic Circuit Recloser installation on SWER lines, covered/underground construction in defined areas, and required capacity testing for lines originating from listed zone substations (reg 7(1)(n), 7(1)(l)-(m), reg 5, Schedule 1).

The Regulations operate on multiple parties and asset classes. The primary regulated actors are "specified operators" and "major electricity companies" to whom the plan content and operational prescriptions attach (regs 6 and 7). Major electricity companies have additional, more prescriptive obligations: public disclosure of specified information in accepted plans (reg 8), network testing and required capacity obligations tied to zone substations listed in Schedule 1 (reg 7(1)(j), 7(1)(k), Schedule 1), obligations to install and maintain Automatic Circuit Reclosers on SWER lines (reg 7(1)(n)), and coverage/undergrounding requirements within electric line construction areas (reg 7(1)(l)).

Owners and occupiers of land with private electric lines are also affected. The Regulations prescribe inspection standards for private electric lines (reg 11), set maximum inspection intervals (reg 10), require the major electricity company to give occupiers a notice of inspection in a defined form and within a defined period (regs 13-14 and Schedule 2), and specify the part of a private line that is excluded from inspection (the part installed after the point where the line connects to a building or structure, reg 9). Major electricity companies must also run public awareness processes about owners' responsibilities for private electric line maintenance (reg 7(1)(v)).

Regulators and administrative bodies are affected in specific ways. Energy Safe Victoria appears as the technical approver for training courses, the recipient of testing reports, and as the entity with discretion to grant exemptions in writing (regs 6(j), 7(p), 7(1)(t)(vii), 15). The Electricity Safety Act 1998 supplies the regulatory enforcement architecture (reg 2).

Supply network components and asset types are identified. The Regulations explicitly address polyphase electric lines, SWER lines, low voltage overhead cables constructed after commencement in hazardous areas, bare open wire conductors, double insulated and neutral‑screened cables, wooden poles (with different criteria for treated pine), steel and concrete poles, and hazard trees (regs 5, 7(1)(m), 11, 12). Items such as "electric line construction areas" are narrowly mapped by reference to Central Plan Office plans (reg 5).

Other agencies appear indirectly: the Country Fire Authority Act 1958 defines "fire danger period" and "total or partial fire ban day" which trigger operational and maintenance plans that operators must set out (reg 5 definitions; regs 6(l), 7(1)(r)). Standards bodies are implicated by incorporation of the Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules (AS/NZS 3000) for Table 3.8 clearances up to the transitional date and for definitions such as "neutral‑screened cable" (reg 5; reg 11(1)(e), (f)(i), (g)(i); endnotes).

Finally, the instrument affects the public by requiring major electricity companies to publish certain plan information (reg 8), and by mandating public awareness measures regarding private line owners’ responsibilities (reg 7(1)(v)). The Schedule 1 list of zone substations makes explicit which parts of a major company’s network are subject to the "required capacity" and testing obligations (reg 7(1)(j), Schedule 1).

The Regulations convert statutory duties into explicit, operational duties with measurable elements. The principal duties are:

• Prepare and maintain bushfire mitigation plans containing prescribed particulars, and implement inspection, training, maintenance, testing, monitoring and audit processes. Specified operators must include the particulars in reg 6; major electricity companies must include the particulars in reg 7(1). Those contents include control room contacts (regs 6(d), 7(1)(d)), inspection plans with intervals (regs 6(i), 7(1)(o)), training approvals (regs 6(j), 7(p)), operational plans for fire periods (regs 6(l), 7(1)(r)), and monitoring and audit processes (regs 6(n), 7(1)(t)).

• For major electricity companies specific technical duties include: ensuring polyphase lines from zone substations have the "required capacity" (reg 7(1)(j)); undertake testing before each specified bushfire risk period and report the results to Energy Safe Victoria (reg 7(1)(k), 7(1)(t)(vii)); ensure that new or substantially replaced 1-22 kV lines within electric line construction areas are covered or underground (reg 7(1)(l)); ensure low voltage overhead conductors constructed after commencement in hazardous bushfire risk areas are insulated (reg 7(1)(m)); and install and maintain Automatic Circuit Reclosers on overhead SWER lines (reg 7(1)(n)).

• Conduct inspections to prescribed standards of private electric lines and company network parts (reg 11 sets detailed inspection standards) and meet the inspection frequency limits (reg 10, reg 7(1)(o)). Where an inspection identifies hazards such as a hazard tree, notify the responsible person (reg 11(1)(o)).

• Public disclosure: major electricity companies must make specified plan information publicly available as part of their accepted plan (reg 8 identifies prescribed information).

Rights and procedural features include:

• Energy Safe Victoria’s discretion to exempt a specified operator or major electricity company from any requirement of the Regulations, in writing and potentially subject to conditions (reg 15). That creates a formal relief avenue and an administrative right to request exemption.

• Occupiers have notice rights before an inspection: the Regulations prescribe the period within which notice must be given (not more than 45 days and not less than 21 days; reg 13) and prescribe the form of the notice (Schedule 2; reg 14). The Schedule 2 form also states that if an inspection reveals defects, the owner will be given written notice of maintenance required.

• Major electricity companies must provide public contact lines for emergencies in plan particulars and publish certain plan elements (regs 7(1)(d)-(e), 8(a)-(b)).

• Training obligations require that persons assigned to carry out inspections have completed a training course approved by Energy Safe Victoria and are competent (regs 6(j), 7(p)). This creates both an administrative holding requirement and an evidentiary compliance point.

Duties are expressed as mandatory particulars or prescriptions, for example the time and voltage thresholds in the definition of "required capacity" (reg 5), inspection intervals (reg 10 and reg 7(1)(o)), physical clearance minima in Table 1 and Table 2 under reg 12, and pole condition criteria under reg 11(1)(j)-(m). The Regulations do not themselves set specific monetary penalties in the text provided; enforcement and penalties are to be exercised under the Electricity Safety Act 1998 which authorises these Regulations (reg 2).

Procedurally the Regulations also require recordkeeping and audit functions within the bushfire mitigation plan particulars (regs 6(n), 7(1)(t)). Major electricity companies must report testing results to Energy Safe Victoria before the specified bushfire risk period annually (reg 7(1)(t)(vii)). These produce discrete administrative obligations to collect, retain and report technical evidence.

The Regulations themselves do not specify monetary fines or criminal sanctions within the text provided. Instead the instrument is made under sections 151, 151A and 157 of the Electricity Safety Act 1998 (reg 2). Enforcement and penalties therefore operate through the Act’s enforcement architecture and powers referenced in the authorising provisions. The Regulations create mandatory technical and administrative duties which an enforcement agency empowered by the Act may use as the basis for compliance action.

Operationally the instrument embeds enforcement levers through administrative design:

• Oversight by Energy Safe Victoria. The Regulations require Energy Safe Victoria approval of training courses for inspectors (regs 6(j), 7(p)), receive pre‑season testing reports from major electricity companies (reg 7(1)(t)(vii)), and have explicit exemption powers to relieve operators from regulatory requirements in writing and subject to conditions (reg 15). Those roles give Energy Safe Victoria practical supervisory and enforcement channels.

• Reporting and audit elements. The specified particular requirements include monitoring and audit processes for plan implementation and inspection effectiveness (regs 6(n), 7(1)(t)). Major electricity companies must report testing results before the specified bushfire risk period (reg 7(1)(t)(vii)). These provisions supply regulators with documentary material on compliance.

• Prescribed technical standards. The Regulations set detailed inspection standards (reg 11) and minimum clearances (reg 12, Table 1 and Table 2). Failure to meet these technical prescriptions can be identified via inspection and can form the factual basis for compliance notices or enforcement action under the Electricity Safety Act 1998.

• Administrative process for occupier notice. The Regulations prescribe notice requirements for inspections of private electric lines (reg 13) and a prescribed notice form (Schedule 2 via reg 14). Non‑observance of the notice regime or failures identified on inspection are procedural markers for regulator review or action.

• Exemptions. Energy Safe Victoria may grant exemptions in writing, and may attach conditions (reg 15). The existence of a formal exemption process supplies a compliance pathway that operators can use to manage obligations. Regulators may enforce conditions attached to exemptions.

Because the Regulations delegate sanctions and enforcement to the Act the specific penalties available, the processes for warnings, improvement notices, infringement notices, prosecutions or other regulatory responses are to be found in the Electricity Safety Act 1998 rather than in these Regulations. The Regulations therefore establish the substantive duties and administrative reporting and oversight mechanisms, while enforcement instruments arise under the Act referenced in regulation 2.

The Regulations are interwoven with multiple external legislative instruments, administrative instruments and standards. The authorising source is the Electricity Safety Act 1998 (reg 2). The Regulations explicitly adopt and reference provisions from other subordinate instruments, standards and Acts as follows.

• Country Fire Authority Act 1958. The definitions of "fire danger period" and "total or partial fire ban day" are taken from the Country Fire Authority Act 1958 and used to condition operation and maintenance plans and emergency procedures in proposed bushfire mitigation plans (reg 5, regs 6(l), 7(1)(r)).

• Electricity Safety (General) Regulations 2019. The Regulations rely on definitions and certain technical meanings from the 2019 General Regulations, for example "bare open wire" and "low voltage", and terms used in regulation 11 refer back to the General Regulations (reg 5 and reg 11 cross‑references).

• AS/NZS 3000 Wiring Rules. The Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules (AS/NZS 3000:2018 incorporating amendments) are incorporated for Table 3.8 clearance requirements prior to 16 December 2023 and for definitions such as "neutral‑screened cable" (reg 5 definitions; reg 11(1)(e), (f)(i), (g)(i); endnotes include a table of applied documents).

• Electricity Safety (Electric Line Clearance) Interim Regulations 2025 and the Code of Practice for Electric Line Clearance. Regulation 11(1)(n) was amended by S.R. No. 40/2025 to refer to "the Code", the Code of Practice for Electric Line Clearance prescribed under regulation 7 of the interim regulations, and the endnotes explain that amendment (reg 11(1)(n) note; endnotes 2 and 5). The Regulations therefore interact with subsequently made subordinate instruments that define electric line clearance practices.

• Subordinate Legislation Act 1994. The endnotes state that these Regulations will sunset 10 years after the day of making on 6 June 2033, pursuant to the Subordinate Legislation Act 1994 (endnotes).

• Interpretation of Legislation Act 1984. The explanatory endnotes include references to the Interpretation of Legislation Act 1984 for rules about headings, notes and other interpretative features; these are general interpretative aids rather than substantive regulatory cross‑references (endnotes).

• Central Plan Office land plans. The "electric line construction area" is specified by reference to particular Central Plan Office plan numbers (LEGL./16‑199 to LEGL./16‑231) (reg 5). That is an interaction with land and cadastral record systems.

The Regulations therefore do not operate in isolation. They import technical standards from national wiring rules, adopt and cross‑refer to the General Regulations for defined terms and devices, rely on the CFA Act for fire period definitions, and link to the Code of Practice for Electric Line Clearance via subsequent interim regulations. Obligations such as training approval, reporting and exemptions are routed through Energy Safe Victoria and therefore interact with the governance and powers of that regulator as established under the Act.

Practically these interactions mean operators must coordinate compliance not only with the Regulations but with the wiring standards, any Code of Practice adopted under related instruments, and the Act’s enforcement regime. The Regulations also create sequencing effects: for example from 16 December 2023 the minimum clearance standard for insulated and unsheathed conductors changes from Table 3.8 of AS/NZS 3000 to the new regulation 12 clearances (reg 11(1)(f)(i)-(ii), reg 12), which requires operators to track both the standard and the transition date. Major companies must map obligations to zone substations listed in Schedule 1 (reg 7(1)(j), Schedule 1), and must comply with land‑specific requirements where the electric line construction area applies (reg 7(1)(l)).

The Regulations repeal earlier subordinate instruments and have already been subject to at least one amendment to cross‑reference a separate interim instrument. The text records the revocation of the Electricity Safety (Bushfire Mitigation) Regulations 2013 and subsequent amendment regulations (reg 4). The instrument itself was made on 6 June 2023 and commenced on 16 June 2023 (reg 3; endnotes).

The published Table of Amendments in the endnotes records that regulation 11(1)(n) was amended by S.R. No. 40/2025 (endnotes 2 and 5). The explanatory material in the endnotes identifies the Electricity Safety (Electric Line Clearance) Interim Regulations 2025, S.R. No. 40/2025, made on 11 June 2025, as an instrument that inserted or altered references to the Code of Practice for Electric Line Clearance and that triggered the note to regulation 11(1)(n) and related changes (endnotes, Table of Amendments). The Table of Applied, Adopted or Incorporated Matter in the endnotes lists the incorporation of AS/NZS 3000:2018 (including specified amendments) for several provisions (endnotes, table).

The endnotes also state that the Regulations will sunset on 6 June 2033 pursuant to the Subordinate Legislation Act 1994 (endnotes). The initial instrument revoked earlier versions and amendments from 2013, 2015 and 2016 (reg 4 with cross‑references in endnotes), indicating this instrument replaces the earlier bushfire mitigation regulations in force up to June 2023.

Operationally the 2025 interim regulations amended the substantive inspection standard cross‑reference in reg 11(1)(n) to point to the Code of Practice for Electric Line Clearance. That creates a dependency: future changes to that Code or replacement of the interim regulations may alter what "clause 3 of the Code" requires. The amendment history therefore shows an architecture where the bushfire mitigation requirements are kept in step with electric line clearance policy by cross‑reference rather than by embedding all requirements directly in this instrument.

The text provided contains no references to cases, judicial decisions, or litigation concerning these Regulations. There is no litigation history recorded in the instrument or in the endnotes. The instrument’s endnotes and explanatory details list revocations, amendments and the applied standards but do not record any court proceedings or judicial interpretation. As a matter of the source material, no cases are named and no judicial determinations on construction or application of these Regulations are provided.

Where enforcement or dispute resolution will arise, such matters will rely on the Electricity Safety Act 1998 and any enforcement actions taken by Energy Safe Victoria or other authorities, and on the established adjudicative forums for statutory disputes. The Regulations themselves do not supply a case list or reported decisions.

Several technical and procedural traps for practitioners and affected organisations appear in the text. These are concrete compliance and interpretation risks that arise from the instrument’s structure and wording.

• Transition dates for clearance standards. Regulation 11(1)(f) and (g) require compliance with AS/NZS 3000 Table 3.8 before 16 December 2023 and with regulation 12 thereafter for insulated and unsheathed conductors and neutral‑screened cables (reg 11(1)(f)(i)-(ii), (g)(i)-(ii); reg 12). Practitioners must track which standard applies to which asset depending on timing. The text also includes a note that reg 11(1)(n) was amended (endnotes). Failure to apply the correct regime by date could be a compliance risk.

• Precise technical thresholds in "required capacity". The definition of "required capacity" in regulation 5 contains precise voltage and timing thresholds and I2t limits in diagnostic tests. Compliance requires network modelling, protective device settings and testing to demonstrably meet voltages at the corresponding zone substation within the milliseconds or second thresholds set out (reg 5). These are tight technical metrics that will require engineering evidence.

• Geographic specificity for heightened obligations. The "electric line construction area" is defined by reference to specific Central Plan Office plans (reg 5). The covered/undergrounding obligation for 1-22 kV lines applies only within that area (reg 7(1)(l)). Parties must map their assets to those plan numbers to know whether the obligation applies.

• Zone substation list matters. The "required capacity" obligation and testing obligations for polyphase lines are linked to zone substations listed in Schedule 1 (reg 7(1)(j), 8(g), Schedule 1). The list is finite and specific. Operators must tie network planning and testing programmes to that list.

• Private electric line exclusion point. The "prescribed part" of a private electric line that is excluded from inspection is the part installed after the point where the line connects to a building or other structure (not including a pole) on the land (reg 9). Determining the precise "point" of connection in practice may be fact sensitive and could generate disputes between owners and the inspecting major electricity company about which part is subject to inspection and which is the owner's maintenance responsibility.

• Notice period constraints. The prescribed notice period for inspection is not more than 45 days and not less than 21 days before the inspection (reg 13). The required form is set out in Schedule 2 (reg 14). Failure to comply with those timing and form requirements may affect the validity of an inspection or subsequent enforcement steps.

• Responsibility of private owners surfaced but not fully defined. Regulation 7(1)(v) requires major electricity companies to enhance public awareness of owners’ responsibilities and to highlight the company’s obligation to inspect private lines (reg 7(1)(v)). The Regulations require the company to give written notice to owners of required maintenance where defects are identified (Schedule 2). The instrument does not specify who pays for maintenance under private law; that allocation will depend on other law or contractual arrangements. Practitioners should note the separation between inspection powers and the question of cost.

• Hazard tree reporting extends beyond clearance space. Regulation 11(3) makes it clear that if a suitably qualified arborist identifies a hazard tree likely to fall onto or otherwise come into contact with an electric line, the tree must be notified to the responsible person even if it is not within the minimum clearance space or likely to grow into it (reg 11(2)-(3)). This broadens the universe of reportable trees beyond conventional clearance space assessments and creates potential landowner obligations.

• Technical device obligations require installation and maintenance. The Automatic Circuit Recloser obligation for overhead SWER lines (reg 7(1)(n)) and the insulation requirement for new low voltage overhead cables constructed after commencement in hazardous bushfire risk areas (reg 7(1)(m)) create capital and operating costs and require asset management changes. The instrument does not specify technical specifications beyond the device name and the Act cross‑references; additional technical requirements may be determinable under the Act or technical guidelines.

• Exemption is possible but discretionary. Energy Safe Victoria may exempt any specified operator or major electricity company from requirements in writing and with conditions (reg 15). This is a relief valve but also concentrates discretion in the regulator. Applicants must expect conditional approvals and must document compliance commitments to secure exemptions.

• Reporting and audit obligations are explicit. Major electricity companies must report testing results to Energy Safe Victoria before the specified bushfire risk period each year (reg 7(1)(t)(vii)). These time‑bound reporting obligations mean companies must schedule testing sufficiently early to prepare and lodge reports.

• Definitions of "wholly or substantially replaced" and "covered". The definition of "wholly or substantially replaced" requires at least 4 consecutive spans to be relocated or have conductors replaced to attract the covered/undergrounding test (reg 5). The definition of "covered" for bare open wire conductors is a permanently affixed system of insulation (reg 7(2)). These precise thresholds can affect the treatment of staged or partial replacement projects.

Those features create concrete compliance and operational decisions. Practitioners must map assets to the definitions and lists, timetable testing and reporting to Energy Safe Victoria, update inspection procedures and training, and document audit trails to evidence compliance in the event of review or enforcement action.

To meet the Regulations’ prescriptions, operators and major electricity companies should adopt a structured compliance programme that documents plan content, inspection cycles, technical testing, training approvals and reporting. Below is a practical, source‑grounded checklist drawn from the Regulations.

1. Prepare or update bushfire mitigation plans to include every prescribed particular.

   • Specified operators: include items in reg 6(a)-(o), including contact and control room details, policy, objectives, maps identifying at‑risk electric lines, preventative strategies, inspection plan ensuring inspections at intervals no longer than 37 months, and training processes with Energy Safe Victoria approval for inspectors (reg 6).
   • Major electricity companies: include items in reg 7(1)(a)-(w). In particular ensure the plan contains the required capacity strategies (reg 7(1)(j)), testing programme details (reg 7(1)(k)), covered/undergrounding measures for electric line construction areas (reg 7(1)(l)), low voltage insulation measures for new overhead lines in hazardous areas (reg 7(1)(m)), Automatic Circuit Recloser policies for SWER lines (reg 7(1)(n)), inspection plans with specified intervals (reg 7(1)(o)), training and competence processes (reg 7(p)), operation and maintenance plans for fire and ban periods (reg 7(1)(r)), and monitoring, audit and reporting procedures including pre‑season testing reports to Energy Safe Victoria (reg 7(1)(t)(vii)).

2. Map assets and risk zones.

   • Identify assets located in hazardous bushfire risk areas versus other areas, and private electric lines, to apply the correct inspection intervals (37 months v 61 months) and other obligations (reg 10; reg 7(1)(o)).
   • Map any assets within the designated electric line construction area by reference to the Central Plan Office plans named in regulation 5 to determine whether covered/undergrounding obligations apply (reg 5; reg 7(1)(l)).
   • Cross‑reference assets that originate from zone substations in Schedule 1 to determine which polyphase lines need to meet "required capacity" obligations (reg 7(1)(j), Schedule 1).

3. Implement inspection regimes and recordkeeping.

   • Put in place inspection schedules and checklists aligned to reg 11 inspection standards covering insulators, stay wires, cross‑arms, conductors and fittings, spreaders for horizontal bare lines, clearance compliance, insulation condition, leaning pole limits, wooden and treated pine pole girth and decay tests, steel and concrete pole conditions, compliance with clause 3 of the Code, and hazard tree reporting (reg 11(1)(a)-(n), (o); reg 11(3)-(4)).
   • Ensure inspection intervals meet the maximums in reg 10 and reg 7(1)(o), and keep records of previous inspection dates to calculate due inspections.

4. Train and credential inspectors.

   • Require each person assigned to carry out inspections to have completed a training course approved by Energy Safe Victoria and to be documented as competent (regs 6(j), 7(p)). Keep approval evidence and competence assessments on file to support audits and regulatory inquiries.

5. Test and certify network performance.

   • For major electricity companies ensure testing programmes before the specified bushfire risk period can demonstrate compliance with "required capacity" requirements. Document testing methodology, results and any remedial actions (reg 5 definition of required capacity; reg 7(1)(k), (t)(vii)).
   • Implement settings, protection and diagnostic methods that limit I2t and fault currents during diagnostic testing to the levels specified in reg 5 where high impedance faults are assessed.

6. Install and maintain specified devices and construction types.

   • Install and maintain Automatic Circuit Reclosers on overhead SWER lines in accordance with the plan and reg 7(1)(n).
   • Within the electric line construction area ensure any new or wholly/substantially replaced 1-22 kV lines are covered or underground; ensure definitions of "wholly or substantially replaced" (4 consecutive spans) are applied to project planning (reg 7(1)(l); reg 5 definition).
   • For low voltage overhead cables constructed after commencement in hazardous bushfire risk areas, ensure they are insulated (reg 7(1)(m)).

7. Inspections of private electric lines and occupier communications.

   • Follow prescribed notice timelines not more than 45 and not less than 21 days before inspection (reg 13).
   • Use the prescribed form in Schedule 2 for notice to occupiers (reg 14, Schedule 2).
   • If inspection reveals defects, issue written notice to the owner of maintenance required as set out in Schedule 2. Maintain records of notice delivery and follow‑up actions.

8. Public disclosure and public awareness.

   • For major electricity companies publish the prescribed information of an accepted bushfire mitigation plan listed in reg 8(a)-(o), including emergency telephone lines, bushfire mitigation policy, map boundary, inspection plans and testing programmes.
   • Establish public awareness campaigns detailing owners’ responsibilities for private electric lines and the company’s inspection obligations (reg 7(1)(v)).

9. Monitoring, auditing and reporting.

   • Implement the monitoring and audit processes required by regs 6(n) and 7(1)(t) to identify deficiencies and remediate them, and to audit inspection effectiveness.
   • File testing reports with Energy Safe Victoria before the specified bushfire risk period each year as required in reg 7(1)(t)(vii).

10. Manage exemptions and regulatory engagement.

• Where compliance is impractical, apply to Energy Safe Victoria for a written exemption under reg 15. Document the business case, proposed conditions, and mitigation measures, and be prepared to accept conditions attached to any exemption.
• Maintain a compliance file demonstrating training approvals, inspection logs, testing evidence, contact lists, audit records, and copies of published plan information to support regulatory review.

11. Technical and contract workstreams.

• Align engineering, protection settings, asset replacement and vegetation management programmes to meet the technical thresholds in reg 5, reg 11 and reg 12.
• Where private line responsibility is contested, review deeds, easements and customer contracts to clarify cost allocations for maintenance and to coordinate response procedures after inspector notices.

12. Keep governance materials current.

• Update plans when deficiencies are identified, as required by regs 6(n)(iv) and 7(1)(t)(iv).
• Ensure the plan identifies responsible personnel with contact details (regs 6(b), 6(c), 7(1)(b), 7(1)(c)), and keep control room numbers current for emergency contact (regs 6(d), 7(1)(d)-(e)).

Following these steps will align an operator’s systems with the Regulations’ technical and administrative prescriptions. In addition maintain awareness of related instruments such as the Electricity Safety (Electric Line Clearance) Interim Regulations 2025 and any Code of Practice updates which the Regulations reference (reg 11(1)(n) note; endnotes). Where uncertainty exists about the interpretation of "prescribed" technical concepts or about the point of private‑line exclusion, seek clarifying guidance from Energy Safe Victoria and retain documentary evidence of any technical or governance decisions.