General News
17 March, 2026
Choppers scan powerline risks
HELICOPTERS have started scanning powerlines in the Inglewood district as part of Powercor’s year-round bushfire mitigation and vegetation management program.
Powercor said people might see and hear the choppers, which fly about 300 metres above the ground and use Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to scan the distance between tree branches and powerlines over the next month.
Using the LiDAR data, Powercor teams create 3D models of powerlines and their surroundings, helping to inform what vegetation needs to be cut.
Powercor’s head of vegetation management Ayce Cordy said it was important that accurate measurements were taken of all vegetation each and every year.
“Inspecting and managing vegetation growing near powerlines is an essential part of how we keep power safe and reliable for our customers,” Mr Cordy said.
“By capturing data every year, we can track growth rates of vegetation across our network, helping us plan where to cut right now and when we may need to conduct cutting in the future.”
The helicopters started last week and will also be flying over Bendigo, Avoca, Maryborough, Castlemaine and Heathcote.
Read More: Inglewood