Strata Private Power Poles in NSW: Who Pays, Who Inspects and How to Budget for Replacement

Your strata scheme has private power poles on common property. Whose problem are they? In most NSW strata schemes, poles and overhead lines on common property belong to the owners corporation, not individual lot owners and not the network. That makes them a capital works item, a work health and safety consideration and a potential source of defect notices. Townhouse complexes, villa developments, battle-axe schemes and older small blocks commonly have one or more private poles supplying multiple units. Here's how to manage them properly.

Why strata poles are a growing issue

Many Sydney strata schemes were built in the 1970s to 1990s with private poles supplying multiple units. Those poles are now reaching end of life. Timber rots at ground line, steel rusts from the inside, and coastal schemes see accelerated corrosion from salt air. See salt air damage to coastal poles. At the same time, lot owners are adding EV chargers, batteries and air-con, increasing load on shared supply infrastructure that was never designed for it.

Understanding who owns what

• Network assets. Street poles, network lines and the service line up to the connection point are owned by the distributor.
• Common property. Private poles, overhead lines and shared consumer mains on common property are usually the owners corporation's responsibility.
• Lot property. Electrical equipment within a lot's boundary or serving only that lot may be the lot owner's, depending on the strata plan and by-laws.

Where the boundaries are unclear, your strata manager should confirm with the strata plan and a qualified inspection. Our private pole responsibility guide covers the general rules.

Building poles into your capital works fund

NSW strata schemes are required to prepare a 10-year capital works fund plan. Private poles and overhead lines belong in it. A useful approach:

1. Commission a condition report on every pole, crossarm and overhead span. See pole inspection and condition reporting.
2. Rank by remaining life, from urgent to 1–3 years to 3–10 years.
3. Get budget pricing for replacement, and for alternatives like composite poles or underground conversion.
4. Schedule the work in the capital works plan to avoid special levies.
5. Re-inspect periodically and after major storms to keep the plan current.

Replacement options for strata

Like-for-like replacement

Replace failed poles with new steel or timber poles. It's the lowest upfront cost, but timber and steel will need replacing again eventually.

Composite poles

Composite poles don't rot, rust or suffer termite damage, so they suit schemes that want to avoid repeat replacement, especially near the coast.

Underground conversion

For schemes with several poles and overhead spans, converting to underground can remove the whole liability. It needs more planning, owner approval and a larger capital outlay, but it removes storm, tree and pole-replacement risk for good.

Supply capacity upgrade

If lot owners want EV chargers, the scheme may need a supply capacity review at the same time. Replacing poles and mains together avoids paying for two outages.

Managing defect notices

If a network inspection issues a defect notice for a private pole on common property, it's addressed to the owners corporation. The strata manager should:

• Engage a Level 2 ASP promptly. Notices have deadlines.
• Get a scope and quote for rectification
• Notify lot owners of any planned outage
• Keep the completion certificate for strata records

See our defect rectification service and defect notice guide.

Coordinating work across multiple lots

Pole and mains work usually means a planned outage affecting several units. Good coordination includes early notice to residents, scheduling around work-from-home and medical needs, and keeping the outage to a single day where possible. We coordinate directly with strata managers and building managers to keep disruption low.

Get a strata pole condition report

Call 0402 559 777 or contact us for a strata pole and overhead line assessment. We'll give you a photo-backed report, priority rankings and budget pricing for your capital works plan.

Related reading: Private pole ownership and rules · Bare wire to ABC replacement · On the main site: Strata and real estate electricians · Strata EV charger installation