newy.com.au – Transgrid has begun its 2026 aerial patrol program, deploying helicopters and specialist inspections across NSW and the ACT, with flights scheduled for the Newcastle and Hunter region from 25 to 29 June.
The February to September program is designed to identify vegetation encroachments and check the condition of towers and lines so maintenance can be carried out well ahead of the 2026-27 bushfire period, with Transgrid saying the work supports network safety and power system reliability.
Executive General Manager of Network Jason Krstanoski said the patrols were planned long before summer. “Bushfire risk is something we plan for well before summer arrives,” he said, adding the inspections help “identify potential issues early, prioritise maintenance and reduce risk across the network”.
In the Hunter, the June inspections are expected to involve helicopters flying along transmission corridors with experienced lines crews on board to visually assess towers and conductors, alongside other technologies used across the broader program.
Transgrid said it would also use high-resolution aerial imagery for engineering review, aerial thermographic inspections to detect abnormal heat that may indicate emerging faults, and a 3D laser survey of easements by fixed-wing aircraft using LiDAR to identify vegetation growing too close to transmission lines.
“Preventative maintenance is one of the most effective ways to reduce bushfire risk,” Krstanoski stated. “These inspections help ensure we’re doing the right work, in the right locations, at the right time – well before extreme conditions occur.”
Communities may notice helicopters operating near transmission corridors at varying heights depending on the inspection being conducted, with Transgrid saying flights are carefully planned, weather dependent and carried out under strict aviation safety requirements.
The company said it would notify landowners, councils and stakeholders ahead of planned flights through landowner letters, radio updates and its social media channels, and that up-to-date information on locations and timing would be available through an interactive map on its website.
Other scheduled work includes aerial imagery inspections in Sydney, Tamworth and New England from 16 February to 8 March, inspections in Wagga, Yass and Riverina from 14 to 26 May, and Orange and the Central West from 18 to 24 June, while statewide thermographic inspections are scheduled from 9 July with an end date to be confirmed and ACT and Snowy Mountains inspections from 3 to 7 September.
Transgrid said dates were indicative and subject to weather and operational requirements, and that localised updates would be issued about a week before inspections begin in each region.
