Residents and landowners in parts of the Shoalhaven, and in particular Kangaroo Valley, may this week notice helicopters inspecting high voltage electricity transmission lines as part of TransGrid's annual bushfire safety program.
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The inspections will also take place over the Sydney, Illawarra and Southern Highlands areas.
The testing, which is dependent on weather conditions, is expected to start on July 12 and continue until July 15.
Locally in the Shoalhaven the inspection activities will be carried out in and around Kangaroo Valley.
On the Southern Highlands it will be at Moss Vale and Robertson, while in the Illawarra it will be around Dapto.
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In the Greater Sydney inspections will be carried out at Belrose, Dural, Mount Kuring-gai, Richmond, Riverstone, Rouse Hill, St Marys, Sutherland Shire, Vineyard and Wetherhill Park
TransGrid head of maintenance programs Ian Davidson said the patrols help identify any potential bushfire risks and assess the condition of towers and transmission lines.
"These annual safety inspections are an important part of our comprehensive maintenance program to ensure the transmission network is safe for the community and our staff," he said.
"The helicopters will fly along transmission lines and will allow us to identify any potential issues so we can make repairs before they become a problem."
The helicopter will fly low near transmission lines at about 50 kilometres per hour and may startle livestock so property owners may want to consider securing animals during the patrols.
Between May and July, a specialist team will inspect more than 13,000 kilometres of transmission lines and infrastructure on TransGrid's network across NSW and the ACT.
The patrols help identify where trees or vegetation may be growing close to lines and also inspect infrastructure for any maintenance issues.
The helicopter will fly low near transmission lines at about 50 kilometres per hour and may startle livestock so property owners may want to consider securing animals during the patrols.
"We'd like to thank the community for their patience and understanding as we carry out these critical inspections to keep everyone safe and remind the public to always exercise caution around transmission lines and towers," Mr Davidson said.
This schedule is subject to change. For more information contact the toll-free hotline on 1800 222 537.
A flight schedule and map is also available at www.transgrid.com.au/patrols
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