Low Hanging Power Lines on Your Property: How to Stay Safe

Keep at least eight metres away from low hanging power lines on my property, and treat every wire as live. Don’t touch a wire or anything in contact with it, even if it appears damaged or switched off. If a line has fallen or is damaged, keep people and pets clear and contact your electricity distributor immediately.

A low wire near a home may be part of the electricity network or a private service line supplying the property. Knowing the difference matters: the right response depends on where the issue is and whether the line is damaged. Never approach it to investigate.

This guide explains how to keep clear of fallen, damaged or sagging wires, protect bystanders and pets, and work safely near overhead lines. It also explains how household service lines and private electrical assets affect what happens next, so you can identify when to report an urgent hazard and when a qualified electrical professional can help.

Keeping away from fallen or damaged powerlines

A fallen or damaged powerline can remain live. Keep clear and report it rather than investigating. Stay at least eight metres away, including from objects touching the wire.

Responding to a damaged line

Treat any fallen, sagging or visibly damaged wire as live, even if it appears switched off. Keep at least eight metres away, don’t touch the line or anything it contacts, and stop others approaching. Report a fallen or damaged powerline immediately on 131 003. Give the operator the property location and explain what you can see from a safe distance.

Hazards from damaged powerlines

Electricity can travel through an object touching a wire, so a fence, tree, vehicle or puddle near a damaged line may also be hazardous. A wire that looks lifeless can be remotely re-energised, and electricity can arc across an air gap. Don’t approach to inspect a break, move an object or take a closer photograph. Keep the full eight-metre exclusion distance.

How powerlines become damaged

Storms can bring branches or trees down onto overhead lines, while vehicle impacts and other accidental strikes can damage poles or wires. A line may also sag if its supports are damaged. For example, a branch resting on a wire makes both the branch and nearby ground unsafe to approach. Don’t try to cut vegetation, lift a wire or secure it to a pole.

Finding the responsible authority

The electricity distributor responsible for the network at the property handles reports about its powerlines; the distributor varies by address across Australian states and territories. Contact the local distributor about a fallen or damaged line, and give its location and visible hazards. Call 131 003 to report a fallen or damaged powerline. If someone is in immediate danger, call 000.

If the line is in water

Water can make the danger zone much larger. If a fallen or damaged powerline or other electricity network infrastructure is submerged, stay at least 150 metres away. Keep people and animals out of the water and away from its edges, and don’t approach to identify the wire or move nearby debris. Report the hazard from a safe location.

If someone is in immediate danger

Call 000 if a person faces immediate danger, but don’t enter the exclusion area to reach them. Tell the operator that a powerline is involved and describe the person’s location from a safe distance. Warn others away without crossing near the wire, an object it touches or any water around it. Wait for trained crews to make the area safe.

Working safely near overhead powerlines

No. Don’t touch, move, trim around or attempt to repair a low-hanging powerline. Keep work and tools clear of wires, and report a hazard to the electricity distributor. Electrical repairs must be handled by a qualified professional.

Electricity can arc across an air gap, so direct contact isn’t needed for an electric shock. A ladder, pruning pole, scaffold or length of timber can bring a worker dangerously close to an overhead line. Keep people, equipment and materials well clear, even when the wire appears insulated or inactive.

Before starting work, look up from the ground and identify overhead lines across the entire work area. Consider the path of ladders, roof materials, tree branches and machinery as they move, not just where they start. If the task could bring anything near a line, stop and arrange a safer method before work begins.

Property owners in Endeavour Energy’s service area are advised to maintain a 3-metre safety clearance from powerlines. Treat this as a planning limit, not permission to work close to wires. Electricity can arc, and a shifting ladder or branch can reduce the gap unexpectedly. The clearance requirement for other areas can differ.

• Keep ladders, poles and other long objects away from overhead wires.

• Don’t prune branches touching or close to a line yourself.

• Keep machinery and raised loads clear, including during turning and reversing.

• Pause work if wind, rain or poor visibility makes the wire’s position difficult to judge.

These precautions matter during routine jobs such as roof repairs, painting, gutter cleaning and tree maintenance. For example, a metal gutter section carried upwards can approach a wire before a worker reaches the roof. Plan how materials will be lifted and moved. A spotter cannot make an unsafe clearance safe.

If a vehicle or machine contacts a powerline, occupants should stay inside if it’s safe to do so. Tell others to keep well clear and contact emergency services. Don’t approach the vehicle or touch it, its load or nearby objects. If there’s an immediate threat such as fire, follow the emergency operator’s instructions.

Work on a private pole or its associated wiring also needs careful planning. Don’t climb the pole, alter the line or try to correct its height. A damaged support can make the wires unstable, and a line can remain energised during an apparent outage. Keep people away and report the problem for assessment and safe repair.

Keeping bystanders and pets away

Set a clear exclusion area as soon as you identify a suspect wire. Keep everyone at least eight metres away from the line and anything touching it. A fence, tree or vehicle in contact with the wire is part of the hazard, not a safe barrier.

Tell children clearly not to approach, even if the wire looks harmless or lies across a familiar path. Move them indoors or to another part of the property, then close gates leading towards the hazard. Ask an adult to supervise them away from the area while you report the danger.

Bring pets inside only if you can do so without entering the exclusion area. If a dog is already near a fallen wire, don’t run towards it or reach for its lead. Call the animal from a safe position if it responds, and keep other people back while you wait for assistance.

Make the boundary visible from a safe location. Ask a neighbour or another adult to warn approaching visitors, delivery drivers and passers-by. Use an existing fence or closed gate only if it stands outside the hazard area. Don’t approach the wire to place cones, tape or signs.

After storms, check the property from indoors or another safe position before allowing people into the yard. Branches can conceal a fallen line, and wires may cross a driveway, garden path or access gate. Keep vehicles and pedestrians away from those routes until the area is safe.

If a wire is near a shared driveway or public footpath, warn people before they reach it, without stepping closer yourself. Give clear directions such as, “Stop and turn back; there’s a powerline across the driveway.” Don’t ask anyone to move a branch, inspect a pole or guide traffic from beside the line.

If someone moves towards the wire, call out from a safe distance and direct them away from the hazard. Don’t grab them or touch an object they may be holding if either could be in contact with the wire. If a person is in immediate danger, call 000 and explain that electricity is involved.

When reporting the hazard, give the electricity distributor the property address and describe where the line lies, such as across a driveway or fence. Mention any people or animals nearby and whether the wire is touching an object. Keep the boundary in place until trained crews make the area safe.

Low-hanging and slack wires

A low wire may belong to the electricity network or form part of a private supply. Ownership and the wire’s condition affect who arranges assessment and repair.

Responsibility for private property lines

Property owners are responsible for maintaining privately owned electrical assets and vegetation near powerlines on their property. The electricity distributor maintains its network up to the point of supply. Identifying that boundary helps direct a report or repair.

In rural areas served by Endeavour Energy, the point of supply is on the first private pole within the property. A pole beyond that point may be a private asset, rather than part of the distributor’s network. Don’t approach a suspect wire to determine ownership. Report an immediate hazard to the distributor, then arrange professional assessment of private assets.

Required overhead line clearances

Required clearance heights depend on the line and what lies beneath it, so one figure cannot safely be applied to every driveway, yard or building across Australia. The line’s type and location, as well as how the space below is used, affect the clearance that applies.

A line over a driveway, for example, has different access needs from a wire crossing a garden or near a roof. Don’t estimate clearance by eye or use a vehicle’s height as a test. If a wire appears unusually low, keep clear and report it. For planned work or changes near a private line, have the setup assessed before moving people, equipment or materials underneath.

Costs of moving or raising a line

There is no single cost. The price depends on the work required and is provided after a quote request. Factors include whether the job involves a private pole, the wiring, access to the work area and coordination at the point of supply.

Moving a line may involve more than changing its height. The pole’s condition, the line’s route and what it supplies can affect the work required. Don’t try to pull a wire tighter or shift its attachment instead of arranging a professional assessment. If the line is damaged or presents an immediate danger, report it to the distributor first. Cost planning comes after the hazard is addressed.

Slack wire concerns

A slack wire hangs lower than expected, while a low wire can create a hazard even without visible damage. Its position may bring people, vehicles, ladders or garden equipment too close to electrical conductors.

From a safe place, look for a change in the wire’s position, such as a line newly dipping across a driveway after a storm. Don’t measure it with a ladder, pole or tape, or trim branches around it. Report the location and what has changed, then keep the route beneath it clear until it has been assessed. A private power pole may also need professional attention if its condition affects the line’s support.

Overhead powerlines and household service lines

An overhead line near your home may be part of the electricity distributor’s network or a private service line supplying the property. That distinction affects who maintains it and arranges repairs.

If you’re searching for “low hanging power lines on my property”, first consider whether the line appears to supply the home or continue through the network. Household service lines branch towards a property, while network powerlines carry electricity through the distributor’s system. Conductors can look similar from the ground, so don’t decide ownership by appearance or approach a low wire to inspect it.

In rural areas served by Endeavour Energy, the point of supply is on the first private pole within the property. Endeavour Energy is responsible for installing, operating and maintaining its network up to that point. Property owners are responsible for maintaining privately owned electrical assets and vegetation near powerlines on their property.

Responsibility for payment generally follows ownership: the owner arranges and pays for work on privately owned lines, while the distributor manages its network assets. If a line crosses the boundary between network and private assets, the point of supply helps establish where responsibility changes.

For a low, damaged or fallen line, act on the hazard before trying to settle ownership. Keep clear and report a suspected network fault to the electricity distributor. Don’t touch conductors, move a pole or trim branches around wires. For a private service line, arrange an assessment and repair appropriate to the issue. If defect repairs require disconnection at the point of supply, the electrician must be a Level 2 Accredited Service Provider.

The phrase “low hanging power lines on my property” describes a concern, but it doesn’t identify who owns the line. The cost to raise, repair or relocate a private line depends on the work required and is provided after a quote request. Relevant factors include the line’s condition and route, the pole and wiring involved, access to the work area, and whether work at the point of supply is needed. A simple-looking sag can involve changes to supporting equipment or the service connection, so the scope must be assessed rather than guessed.

Endeavour Energy recommends inspecting private electrical assets before bushfire season, after major storms or when damage is suspected. From a safe position, look for leaning poles, damaged supports, sagging conductors and branches near wires. An inspection doesn’t mean touching or measuring the line. Report an immediate electrical hazard to the distributor and keep people clear.

Network asset

report a suspected fault to the electricity distributor.

Private asset

the property owner arranges maintenance and repair.

Unclear boundary

stay clear and report the hazard before investigating ownership.

High Demand Electrical: Level 2 ASP Electrical Services

High Demand Electrical provides Level 2 ASP Electrical Services for electrical infrastructure work involving private property. If an inspection identifies a fault with privately owned supply assets, this service can help address the electrical work required. For a fallen or damaged network line, keep clear and report it to the electricity distributor first.

Where a private pole needs installation, High Demand Electrical also provides Private Power Pole Installation. The appropriate work depends on the asset involved and the property’s electrical setup. A qualified assessment can clarify the scope before work proceeds.

For electrical infrastructure concerns at your property, contact High Demand Electrical to discuss the next step.

Take the right next step for your property

If you’re concerned about low-hanging power lines on your property, first consider whether the issue involves the electricity network or your private electrical assets. Keep clear of any immediate hazard and report network faults to the distributor. For work involving private property infrastructure, a qualified electrical assessment can clarify the practical next step.

High Demand Electrical offers Level 2 ASP Electrical Services, Private Power Pole Installation and Switchboard Upgrades. These services are relevant when the issue involves electrical infrastructure or equipment within the property, rather than a network fault that needs reporting to the distributor. Clear information about the affected line, pole or switchboard can help frame the discussion.

Take the next step at a pace that suits the situation. For help with electrical work on your property, contact High Demand Electrical. A clear, informed plan can help you move forward with confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I report a low power line to my electricity distributor in Australia?

Contact the electricity distributor responsible for the property. For a fallen or damaged powerline, call 131 003. Give the exact street address, suburb and a nearby landmark, then describe where the line hangs, such as across a driveway or near a gate. Report any contact with a tree, fence or vehicle. Share these details from a safe position; don’t approach the wire to inspect it.

What is the emergency number for a dangerously low or fallen power line in Australia?

Call 000 if someone is in immediate danger from a low or fallen powerline. If there’s no immediate threat to a person, report a fallen or damaged line on 131 003. Tell the operator whether the wire is across a road, near a home or touching an object. Don’t delay an emergency call to determine which organisation owns the line.

How can I identify whether a low-hanging line is an electricity, telecommunications or service cable?

You can’t reliably confirm a cable’s purpose from appearance alone, so don’t touch or approach it. From a safe distance, note where it runs: an electrical service line may lead towards a property’s supply point, while a telecommunications cable may connect to communications equipment. These are clues, not proof. If you suspect an electrical hazard, treat the line as live and report its location to the electricity distributor.

What are the electrical safety risks and exclusion distances around low or fallen power lines?

Electricity can arc through the air, and a wire can be re-energised remotely. Stay at least eight metres from a low or fallen powerline, anything touching it, and the surrounding hazard. If a fallen or damaged line or network equipment is submerged, keep at least 150 metres away. Never touch the wire or a connected object, even if it appears inactive.

Which electricity distributor or state authority handles low power lines in my Australian state or territory?

The local electricity distributor handles reports about its network lines, and the distributor varies by address across Australian states and territories. In South Australia, report fallen powerlines to SA Power Networks.