Trees close to overhead wires

Cause

Growth

Repair

  • trimming trees near powerlines is extremely dangerous and requires great care. Treat all power lines as live

  • you can trim trees close to the private service line coming to your house, or ask an arborist to do it for you. Look for an appropriately trained/experienced practitioner, such as an approved contractor of the New Zealand Arboricultural Association. Keep branches at least 1.5 metres from the line

  • the Electricity (Hazards from Trees) Regulations 2003 (Tree Regulations) set out the rules around trimming trees close to network power lines

  • when a power line company sees a tree growing too close to power lines, it must either trim the tree or notify the tree owner in writing that they are required to trim the tree

  • when trimming trees close to network power lines, or calling in an arborist to do this, advise the lines company of the location and time the tree will be pruned at least 3 working days in advance

  • trees on public land are generally the responsibility of the city or district council. Call them if you see a problem.

Cause

Wrong tree selected for location

Repair

  • the best long-term solution will be removing the tree and replacing it with a lower-growing or much slower-growing tree. Avoid fast-growing species such as willows, eucalyptus, sycamore, pine, acacia or poplar

  • trimming or removing trees near powerlines is extremely dangerous and requires great care. Treat all power lines as live

  • you can trim or remove trees close to the private service line coming to your house, or ask an arborist to do it for you

  • when trimming or cutting down trees close to network power lines, or calling in an arborist to do this, advise the lines company of the location and time of the work at least 3 working days in advance

  • trees on public land are generally the responsibility of the city or district council. Call them if you see a problem.