Who's Responsible for Tree and Vegetation Clearance Near Your Private Power Pole?

Who is responsible for clearing trees and vegetation away from your private power pole? On the network's side of the point of attachment, Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy manages vegetation clearance to their own lines. Once the line crosses onto your property as a private power pole and aerial mains, the Service and Installation Rules of NSW make you, the owner, responsible for keeping trees and vegetation clear of it, even though the line itself is still live and still has to be treated as network standard work.

⚡ Quick Answers: Vegetation Clearance Near Your Private Power Pole

• Who clears trees near the network's line? Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy manages vegetation along their own poles and mains, usually through contracted tree crews working to a standard trim cycle.
• Who clears trees near my private pole? You do. SIRNSW makes the property owner responsible for maintaining clearances between the private overhead service and any trees or vegetation on the property.
• Can I just call a regular tree lopper? Not if the branch is anywhere near the conductor. A private pole line stays energised at full mains voltage, so anyone trimming close to it needs to work to the same safe approach distances as a network vegetation crew.
• What happens if I ignore overgrown vegetation? It can trigger a defect notice from your distributor, and a branch resting on a live conductor is a genuine fire and shock risk, not just a compliance issue.
• Does it matter if I'm with Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy? The underlying SIRNSW obligation is the same either way, though the two distributors set their own approach distances and close approach procedures. Check your network area in seconds with our postcode checker if you're not sure which one you're in.
• Can my electrician trim the tree themselves? A Level 2 ASP can arrange supply isolation or coordinate a qualified vegetation controller, but cutting vegetation within the close approach zone is specialist work, not a job folded into a general electrical callout.

1. Where your responsibility starts

Every Sydney property with a private power pole has a point of attachment where the network's overhead service ends and your own installation begins. Everything upstream, the street pole, the span of wire crossing the road, and the service itself, belongs to Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy, and vegetation clearance on that side is their job. Everything downstream, including the private pole, the aerial mains running from it to your house, and the ground underneath, is treated as part of your electrical installation and sits on your side of the fence for maintenance.

2. What SIRNSW actually says

The Service and Installation Rules of NSW set out exactly what an owner is on the hook for once a private pole is involved. Under SIRNSW Clause 1.12.4, the customer is responsible for maintaining the required clearances between the overhead service and any trees or vegetation on the customer's premises, alongside maintaining the private pole itself, the aerial mains, and the clearance to buildings and ground. It is a plain statement of ownership rather than a technical trimming procedure, but it is the rule that puts the job on your desk rather than the network's.

3. Why a regular gardener or tree lopper usually can't do it

The catch is that a private pole line is not switched off just because it is your asset. It carries the same mains voltage as the network side, and Ausgrid's and Endeavour Energy's own electrical safety rules set strict approach distances for anyone working near it, whether they work for the distributor or not. A standard tree trim can bring a chainsaw or an extendable pole saw well inside those distances, and low voltage conductors are usually only insulated enough to resist weather, not enough to be treated as safe to touch or cut close to.

Both distributors allow a qualified vegetation controller to trim down to a standard clearance from the wires without a full supply isolation. Getting any closer than that standard distance is close approach work, and it needs an authorised close approach vegetation control crew using insulated tools, exactly the same requirement that applies to their own contractors on network poles. A general tree lopping business, however experienced with trees, is not automatically set up or authorised for this.

4. Standard clearance versus close approach work

Think of it as two zones around the conductor. Outside the standard clearance distance, a qualified vegetation controller can trim without isolating the supply, working under normal precautions. Inside that zone, right up near the wire, only close approach vegetation control applies, using insulated equipment, a safety observer, and in some cases a planned outage. The distances themselves step up with voltage, but for the low voltage line running to a typical private pole, the safe working gap is still measured in hundreds of millimetres, not a comfortable arm's length.

In practice, this is exactly why High Demand Electrical offers disconnect and reconnect services for jobs like tree lopping, crane work and roofing near a private pole. Rather than asking a tree crew to work live, it is often simpler and safer to arrange a temporary disconnection, get the vegetation cleared properly, and reconnect once the site is clear.

5. Bushfire prone areas carry an extra layer

If your property sits in a declared bushfire prone area, SIRNSW gives the network additional power to act on vegetation and private line defects it considers a fire risk. The distributor can direct the owner to rectify defective private overhead lines or overgrown vegetation at the owner's cost, and in a serious case can disconnect the property until it is fixed. This is one of the few areas where a private asset still attracts direct network enforcement, so if you are on the bushfire prone land mapping and have a private pole near established trees, it is worth getting ahead of it rather than waiting for a notice.

6. What a defect notice for vegetation actually looks like

A vegetation related defect notice usually describes the branch or tree, states the minimum clearance required, and gives a timeframe to fix it. It is treated the same way as any other private pole defect, whether the underlying issue is a cracked cross arm, a failed bracket or overgrown vegetation, the notice sits against the property until it is rectified and signed off. See our defect notice rectification service for how we clear a vegetation or structural defect with Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy once the work is done.

7. What to actually do before you book a tree trim near your pole

Start with a proper look at the pole and the line, not just the tree. A pole inspection and condition report will tell you exactly how close the canopy sits to the conductor, whether the pole itself has any other issues worth addressing at the same time, and whether the job needs a straightforward standard trim or a full close approach operation with a planned disconnection. From there we can arrange the vegetation controller, the isolation if one is needed, and the reconnection, as one coordinated job instead of three separate tradespeople working around each other.

If the tree itself is large, established, or overhanging from a neighbouring property, it is also worth checking with your local council before major works begin, since tree preservation rules can apply independently of the electrical clearance requirement. This guide assumes the pole and line are still standing. If a tree has already come down and taken the line with it, that is a live emergency rather than a maintenance job, and our sister site HD Inner West has a dedicated guide on what to do when a tree falls on your power pole covering the immediate safety steps.

Why it's Level 2 ASP work

Coordinating vegetation clearance around a live private pole line crosses straight into Level 2 ASP territory. Arranging a supply isolation, liaising with Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy on a close approach job, and recommissioning the connection afterwards all sit outside what a standard licensed electrician is authorised to do. As an accredited Level 2 ASP, High Demand Electrical can isolate and reconnect the private pole's supply, coordinate directly with your network's vegetation team where needed, and carry out any pole, bracket or cross arm work the same inspection turns up, rather than leaving you to manage separate contractors for the tree, the pole and the network paperwork.

How High Demand Electrical helps

High Demand Electrical is one of Sydney's most trusted Level 2 ASPs for private power pole work, and vegetation related jobs are a regular part of our power pole maintenance workload across the city. We are a licensed local team, not a call centre forwarding the job to a subcontractor, and we service properties across Sydney's West, South West and Sutherland Shire as well as the inner and eastern suburbs. Whether you need a pole inspection to scope the job properly, a temporary disconnection so a tree crew can work safely, or a defect notice cleared once the vegetation is gone, we handle it as one job from the first phone call to sign off.

Vegetation Clearance FAQs (Sydney)

Do I need council approval to trim a tree near my private power pole?

Possibly, depending on the tree species, its size, and your local council's tree preservation order. The electrical clearance requirement under SIRNSW applies regardless, so it is worth sorting both approvals before work starts rather than after a defect notice arrives.

How close can a branch be before it becomes a problem?

There is no single number that applies to every situation, since the required distance depends on the voltage and whether the work is a standard trim or close approach work. As a rule of thumb, if a branch is touching the conductor or close enough that you would need to reach past it to touch the wire, treat the whole tree and the ground near its base as live and call a Level 2 ASP rather than attempting it yourself.

Will my insurance cover storm damage if a tree I failed to trim brings down my private pole?

That depends on your specific policy and the circumstances, so it is worth checking your product disclosure statement. See our guide on whether a fallen power pole is covered by home and contents insurance for the general picture.

Can High Demand Electrical organise the tree work as well as the electrical side?

We coordinate the electrical isolation, reconnection and any pole or line repair, and can work alongside a qualified vegetation controller or arborist for the actual cutting. See our disconnect and reconnect services for how we support tree and vegetation jobs near a live private pole.

What if I am not sure whether my pole is network owned or private?

A private pole must be clearly marked "PRIVATE POLE" under SIRNSW. If you cannot find a label, read our guide on who is responsible for maintaining a private power pole or check your network area in seconds with our postcode checker and call Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy to confirm.

If you are planning any work near a tree close to your private power pole, or a vegetation related defect notice has landed in your letterbox, get in touch for a proper inspection before anyone picks up a chainsaw. Get a Power Pole Maintenance Quote or call 0402 559 777. Every job still needs a site assessment before we can confirm scope or pricing, since pole height, tree size and access all change what the work actually involves.