Do you have old, uninsulated wires strung between private poles on your property? Many older Sydney homes, acreage properties and rear-lot subdivisions still run on bare-wire private overhead lines. These are individual uninsulated conductors spaced apart on crossarms and insulators. They worked for decades, but they don't tolerate branches, wind clash or ageing hardware. Replacing them with insulated aerial bundled cable (ABC) is one of the most effective safety upgrades a private line owner can make. It's also a common item on network defect notices.

How to tell if you have a bare-wire private line

Two or more separate wires running between your poles, spaced apart rather than bundled together
Wires sitting on ceramic or glass insulators mounted on timber or steel crossarms
Visible sag, uneven tension or wires that swing independently in wind
Older timber poles with crossarms, often on rear lots, battle-axe blocks or acreage

If you're not sure, our pole inspection and condition report will identify the conductor type and condition along with the poles.

Why bare-wire lines are a growing problem

Conductor clash

In strong winds, separate conductors can swing together and clash. That causes arcing, flicker, damage to the conductors and, in dry conditions, sparks that can start fires.

Vegetation contact

Branches touching bare wires can cause faults, burn marks and power interruptions. In bushfire-prone areas this is a serious ignition risk. Owners of private lines are responsible for keeping vegetation clear.

Ageing hardware

Old insulators crack, timber crossarms rot and split, and fittings corrode. Many bare-wire lines are several decades old. See our cross arm replacement service.

Storm damage

Bare-wire lines are more likely to be brought down or tangled by falling branches. When they come down, they're a live hazard. See storm damage power pole repair.

What ABC replacement involves

Inspection and design. We inspect every pole, crossarm and fitting, measure spans and calculate the new cable size for your load.
Pole assessment. ABC is usually lighter on crossarms but carried differently. Poles that are rotted, rusted, leaning or undersized are flagged for replacement.
Planned outage and disconnection. We disconnect the supply at the network side.
Removal of bare conductors and crossarms. Old wires, insulators and crossarms that are no longer needed come down.
Installation of ABC. New bundled cable is strung with appropriate fittings, tension and clearances.
Pole replacements where needed. Any failed poles are replaced, often with composite poles on bushfire-prone or coastal land.
Reconnection and testing. We reconnect, test and certify the line.

Replace, repair or go underground?

For a short line with one or two spans, an underground conversion can remove the problem permanently and may be worth pricing alongside ABC. For longer runs across acreage, ABC replacement is usually the practical and economical choice. See our acreage overhead line guide. Patching individual bare-wire spans rarely makes sense. If one section has failed, the rest is usually the same age.

What drives the cost

The main factors are the number of spans and total line length, how many poles need replacing, crossarm and hardware removal, cable size, site access for the elevated work platform or crane, and vegetation clearing needed before work can start. We price per project after a full line inspection.

Why it matters for insurance and sale

An old bare-wire private line is a liability for owners. If it causes a fire or injury, questions about maintenance will follow. When selling, a buyer's inspection may flag it. A documented ABC upgrade with a condition report gives you a clear record. See our pre-sale power pole inspection service.

Book a private line inspection

Call 0402 559 777 or book an inspection. We'll assess every pole and span, tell you what can stay and what needs replacing, and quote the ABC upgrade as one job.

Replacing Old Bare-Wire Private Power Lines with Aerial Bundled Cable (ABC): A Sydney Owner's Guide