Untitled document

Electricity Safety (Bushfire Mitigation) Amendment Regulations 2016

S.R. No. 32/2016

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

Regulation  Page

1Objective

2Authorising provisions

3Commencement

4Principal Regulations

5Definitions

6Prescribed particulars for bushfire mitigation plans—major electricity companies

7Prescribed information about bushfire mitigation plans to be made publicly available by major electricity companies

8Prescribed form of notice to be given before inspection

9Schedule

10New Schedule 2 inserted

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Endnotes

STATUTORY RULES 2016

S.R. No. 32/2016

Electricity Safety Act 1998

Electricity Safety (Bushfire Mitigation) Amendment Regulations 2016

The Governor in Council makes the following Regulations:

Dated: 26 April 2016

Responsible Minister:

LILY D'AMBROSIO
Minister for Energy and Resources

ANDREW ROBINSON

Clerk of the Executive Council

1Objective

The objective of these Regulations is to amend the Electricity Safety (Bushfire Mitigation) Regulations 2013 to make provision for requirements for major electricity companies to increase safety standards on specific components of their networks in order to reduce bushfire risk.

2Authorising provisions

These Regulations are made under sections 151, 151A and 157 of the Electricity Safety Act 1998.

3Commencement

These Regulations come into operation on 1 May 2016.

4Principal Regulations

In these Regulations, the Electricity Safety (Bushfire Mitigation) Regulations 2013[1] are called the Principal Regulations.

5Definitions

In regulation 5 of the Principal Regulations insert—

"Automatic Circuit Recloser means a device in relation to a SWER line that—

(a)may be remotely controlled; and

(b)is able automatically to interrupt and reclose an electric circuit by means of a programmed sequence that involves—

(i)opening and reclosing the electric circuit; and

(ii)resetting the electric circuit; and

(iii)holding the electric circuit closed; and

(iv)permanent interruption of the electric circuit;

Central Plan Office means the Central Plan Office of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning;

electric line construction area means land delineated and shown bounded by an orange line on plans lodged in the Central Plan Office and numbered LEGL./16-199 to LEGL./16-231;

high impedance faults means a resistance value in ohms that is equal to twice the nominal phase-to-ground network voltage in volts;

I²t means a measure of the thermal energy associated with the current flow, where I is the current flow in amps and t is the duration of current flow in seconds;

low impedance faults means a resistance value in ohms that is equal to the nominal phase‑to-ground network voltage in volts divided by 31·75;

polyphase electric line means an electric line comprised of more than one phase of electricity with a nominal voltage between 1 kV and 22 kV;

required capacity means, in the event of a phase‑to-ground fault on a polyphase electric line, the ability—

(a)to reduce the voltage on the faulted conductor in relation to the station earth when measured at the corresponding zone substation for high impedance faults to 250 volts within 2 seconds; and

(b)to reduce the voltage on the faulted conductor in relation to the station earth when measured at the corresponding zone substation for low impedance faults to—

(i)1900 volts within 85 milliseconds; and

(ii)750 volts within 500 milliseconds; and

(iii)250 volts within 2 seconds; and

(c)during diagnostic tests for high impedance faults, to limit—

(i)fault current to 0·5 amps or less; and

(ii)the thermal energy on the electric line to a maximum I²t value of 0·10;

SWER line means a single wire earth return electric line;

wholly or substantially replaced means the planned replacement or relocation of an electric line that involves—

(a)the relocation of at least 4 consecutive spans of the electric line; or

(b)the replacement of conductors on at least 4 consecutive spans of the electric line.".

6Prescribed particulars for bushfire mitigation plans—major electricity companies

(1)After regulation 7(1)(h) of the Principal Regulations insert—

"(ha)details of the preventative strategies and programs referred to in paragraph (h) (including details in relation to timing and location) by which the major electricity company will ensure that—

(i)in its supply network, each polyphase electric line originating from a selected zone substation has the required capacity; and

(ii)on and from 1 May 2023, in its supply network, each polyphase electric line originating from every zone substation specified in Schedule 2 has the required capacity;

(hb)details of testing that will be undertaken before the specified bushfire risk period each year by which the major electricity company will ensure that its supply network can operate to meet the required capacity in relation to each polyphase electric line in accordance with paragraph (ha);

(hc)details of the preventative strategies and programs referred to in paragraph (h) (including details in relation to timing and location) by which the major electricity company will ensure that, on and from 1 May 2016, within an electric line construction area, each electric line with a nominal voltage of between 1 kV and 22 kV that is constructed, or is wholly or substantially replaced, in its supply network is a covered or underground electric line;

(hd)details of the processes and procedures by which the major electricity company will ensure that, before 1 May 2023, the major electricity company has installed an Automatic Circuit Recloser in relation to each SWER line in its supply network;".

(2)In regulation 7(1)(n)(vi) of the Principal Regulations, after "plan;" insert "and".

(3)After regulation 7(1)(n)(vi) of the Principal Regulations insert—

"(vii)before the specified bushfire risk period each year, report to Energy Safe Victoria the results of testing undertaken in that year in accordance with regulation 7(1)(hb);".

(4)After regulation 7(2) of the Principal Regulations insert—

"(3)For the purposes of subregulation (1)(ha)(i)—

(a)the major electricity company must select a sufficient number of zone substations so that—

(i)at 1 May 2019, the points set out in column 6 of the Table in Schedule 2 in relation to each zone substation selected, when totalled, are not less than 30; and

(ii)at 1 May 2021, the points set out in column 6 of the Table in Schedule 2 in relation to each zone substation selected, when totalled, are not less than 55; or

(b)if there are an insufficient number of zone substations (specified in Schedule 2) in a major electricity company's supply network for the major electricity company to comply with paragraph (a)(i) or (ii), the major electricity company must ensure that each polyphase electric line originating from every zone substation that is specified in Schedule 2 and is in its supply network has the required capacity.".

7Prescribed information about bushfire mitigation plans to be made publicly available by major electricity companies

After regulation 7A(f) of the Principal Regulations insert—

"(fa)the company's plan for testing to ensure that its supply network can operate to meet the required capacity in relation to each polyphase electric line originating from a zone substation specified in Schedule 2;

(fb)the details of the processes and procedures for installing an Automatic Circuit Recloser in relation to each SWER line in its supply network;".

8Prescribed form of notice to be given before inspection

In regulation 12 of the Principal Regulations, for "the Schedule" substitute "Schedule 1".

9Schedule

In the Schedule to the Principal Regulations—

(a)for the heading "SCHEDULE" substitute

"Schedule 1—Notice of inspection";

(b)omit the heading "NOTICE OF INSPECTION".

10New Schedule 2 inserted

After Schedule 1 to the Principal Regulations insert—

"Schedule 2—Zone substations

Regulations 7(1)(ha) and (3) and 7A(fa)

Column 1		Column 2		Column 3	Column 4	Column 5	Column 6
Item		Name		Code	Latitude	Longitude	Points
1		Winchelsea		WIN	-38·23644	144·00102	5
2		Colac		CLC	-38·34092	143·60619	5
3		Eaglehawk		EHK	-36·71772	144·25089	5
4		Woori Yallock		WYK	-37·77634	145·52933	5
5		Maryborough	MRO	-37·04909	143·73727	5
6		Seymour	SMR	-37·02548	145·14068	5
7		Ballarat South	BAS	-37·59450	143·79908	5
8		Bendigo TS	BET	-36·78289	144·25296	5
9		Wangaratta	WN	-36·35744	146·31022	5
10		Castlemaine	CMN	-37·07182	144·20637	4
11		Camperdown	CDN	-38·22599	143·15655	4
12		Woodend	WND	-37·33385	144·51729	4
13		Kinglake	KLK	-37·51440	145·31615	4
14		Rubicon A	ALA, MVE	-37·29287	145·81850	4
15		Bairnsdale	BDL	-37·82537	147·61261	4
16		Geelong	GL	-38·13477	144·33741	4
17		Ballarat	BAN	-37·50088	143·85096	4
18		Waurn Ponds	WPD	-38·21082	144·30380	4
19		Lilydale	LDL	-37·76339	145·35840	3
20		Wodonga and Tallangatta	WOTS	-36·15439	146·94682	3
21		Myrtleford	MYT	-36·55745	146·72525	3
22		Barnawartha	BWA	-36·10556	146·67345	3
23		Kilmore South	KMS	-37·31798	144·97174	3
24		Kalkallo	KLO	-37·53833	144·94140	3
25		Gisborne	GSB	-37·45352	144·57625	3
26		Belgrave	BGE	-37·93056	145·36096	3
27		Moe	MOE	-38·18424	146·25908	3
28		Mansfield	MSD	-37·05458	146·08802	2
29		Ferntree Gully	FGY	-37·89304	145·29167	2
30		Eltham	ELM	-37·71675	145·13881	2
31		Ringwood North	RWN	-37·79260	145·23449	2
32		Charlton	CTN	-36·26562	143·35478	2
33		Benalla	BN	-36·55160	145·98000	2
34		Koroit	KRT	-38·31541	142·43245	2
35		Hamilton	HTN	-37·73876	142·02283	2
36		Terang	TRG	-38·23860	142·91531	2
37		Merbein	MBN	-34·16805	142·05807	1
38		Stawell	STL	-37·05833	142·77839	1
39		Bendigo	BGO	-36·76102	144·27897	1
40		Ararat	ART	-37·28308	142·93030	1
41		Coolaroo	COO	-37·64207	144·93391	1
42		Corio	CRO	-38·07445	144·35898	1
43		Lang Lang	LLG	-38·26605	145·56266	1
44		Wonthaggi	WGI	-38·60885	145·58860	1
45		Sale	SLE	-38·10364	147·06972	1

".

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Endnotes

[1] Reg. 4: S.R. No. 62/2013 as amended by S.R. Nos 67/2015 and 68/2015.