Electricity Safety (General) Regulations 2019
2See also section 76(1) of the Act.
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2 See also section 76(1) of the Act.
220 Minimum depths of high voltage underground lines and underground lines on public land and on private land not owned or leased by the owner of the line
(1) A high voltage underground line or any underground line on public land or on private land not owned or leased by the owner of the line set out in column 1 of Table 220 must not be closer to the surface of the ground than the relevant minimum depth specified in column 2, 3, or 4 of that Table.
Section 46 of the Act generally prohibits the construction of electric lines on public land unless an exemption applies.
(2) Subregulation (1) does not apply to the transitional portion of an underground line if the transitional portion—
(a) is protected by a mechanical cover in accordance with regulation 221; or
(b) is enclosed in a compliant heavy duty non‑metallic conduit; or
(c) is enclosed in a medium or heavy galvanised steel tube that complies with AS 1074.
(3) Subregulation (1) does not apply to—
(a) the negative conductors of a railway or tramway supply network; or
(b) those portions of underground lines that are above ground.
Table 220—Minimum depths for underground lines from the surface of the ground
| Column 1<br>Type of underground line | Column 2<br>Directly buried | Column 3<br>Directly buried and covered with a mechanical cover | Column 4<br>Buried enclosed in a conduit or pipe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct current ≤ 1500V | 750 mm | 600 mm | 500 mm |
| Alternating current ≤ 1 kV | 750 mm | 600 mm | 500 mm |
| >1 kV a.c. or 1500V d.c. and ≤ 22 kV | 900 mm | 750 mm | 750 mm |
| > 22 kV and ≤ 66 kV | 1000 mm | 750 mm | 750 mm |
| > 66 kV and ≤ 220 kV | 1000 mm | 1000 mm | 1000 mm |
221 Mechanical protection of underground lines above the ground on public land and on private land not owned or leased by the owner of the line
(1) Any portion of an underground line on public land or on private land not owned or leased by the owner of the line that is at or above the surface of the ground must be mechanically protected from the point 300 millimetres below where the line exits the ground to a height of 2400 millimetres from any surface accessible to the public.