Planning on building your dream home? Maybe you’re part of a crew that’s putting up a new commercial property. Whatever the case may be, you’re going to need a fair bit of power to get the job done. That’s usually not a problem. But what do you do when the power line is smack dab where your new living room is supposed to be? Building around power poles is serious business. There are lots of rules and regulations involved, and you might have to end up moving the power lines to a more convenient location. In this article we’ll find out how close you can build to a power pole and what to do if you really want to have your pole moved.
How Close Can You Build to a Power Pole?
In Australia, all buildings need to be constructed at least 3 metres away from power poles and power lines. This exclusion zone is intended to protect you from injury. The actual exclusion zone around power poles depends on the voltage they carry:
- 3 metres for voltages of up to 132kV
- 6 metres for voltages between 132kV and 330kv
- 8 metres for voltages of 330kv or more
These distances are measured horizontally from the power lines. While you might be able to work within that area, anything you build needs to be placed outside the exclusion zone.
Residential power lines operate at just 11kv or 22kv. So for most projects, like new home builds or commercial structures, you’ll only need to stay 3m away from power poles. We recommend contacting Energex to check the exclusion zone for any power lines on your site.
Moving a Power Pole for Your Building Project
Power lines are dangerous and it’s best to stay as far away as you can. But, you can’t always avoid it, and sometimes you’ll have to move a power pole to build the house you’ve been dreaming of.
Moving a power pole is a bit of a hassle, but it can be done with prior warning. If you need to move a power pole for your construction then you’ll need to contact Ausgrid. Ausgrid is Australia’s energy supplier, and they’re responsible for installing and maintaining our power infrastructure. Keep in mind that they won’t foot the bill for the work. It’s your project, so you’ll be expected to pay for moving the power lines and any expenses that come up, like digging trenches, reinstating paths and roads, or relocating other assets (like street lights) that are disturbed in the process.
If you want to move a power pole then you need to:
- Get approval from everyone who will be affected by the project (including people whose power connection will be interrupted)
- Lodge a Network Asset Relocation Request with Ausgrid
- Submit a design showing your changes
- Sign a contract with Ausgrid confirming the technical details of the work
That’s not trivial, and you’re likely to be left without power in the meantime. But, if you really need to move a powerline, there’s an easy solution: temporary power pole hire Brisbane wide.
Installing Temporary Power Poles
If you’re building on a brand new site, or if you’re disconnecting the power from the land prior to building, you’re going to need an alternative solution. That’s where temporary power poles come in.
Temporary power poles are exactly what they sound like. Our team installs a pole that can connect to the power grid and provide the juice you need to get started! Temporary poles come with a metered connection that allows you to keep your tools and equipment running. Funnily enough, temporary power poles also come with a 3 metre exclusion zone around them. But don’t worry, they’re a flexible solution, so we’ll make sure it’s installed in a location that doesn’t interfere with your building plans.
Poles & Holes has the Right Pole to Power Your Next Project!
The team at Poles & Holes does more than just Portaloo Hire Brisbane wide – we’re also temporary power pole specialists! If you need a bit of electricity for your new home build, we’ve got a pole that can keep the chop saws spinning.
Our temporary power poles come with the support of experienced technicians that are licensed to install single and three-phase connections. Whether you’re working on a residential build or a large-scale commercial project, we can make sure you have power to every corner of the site. Poles & Holes offers a range of flexible plans designed to suit your needs. You can browse our packages online at any time, or have a chat with the team to organise a power pole hire or Toilet Hire for Construction Sites!
