Wildlife

Prevention

We attempt to minimise wildlife contact with our network through:

• Deliberate network strategies such as careful planning and clever design as well as our vegetation management strategy.
• In some instances, it's feasible for us to install wildlife-proofing devices on our equipment to restrict animal access. While this is often successful, some animals are undeterred. These devices can also prevent domestic animals, such as cats, from bringing themselves into harm's way.
• When needed, we engage the services of specialised fauna spotters to inspect an area and relocate wildlife on our major work sites.
• Where possible, we aim to schedule work in accordance with animal's seasonal habits to minimise any disturbance.

We've also developed a Koala Management Strategy to not only implement best practice for minimising the impacts of electricity infrastructure on koalas, but ensure we meet or exceed all regulatory obligations at Federal and State levels.

Animal rescues

We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars annually wildlife proofing the network, with our wildlife proofing plan receiving positive feedback from conservation groups throughout Queensland.

Even though we have a plan in place to reduce animals accessing our network, some wildlife are excellent climbers and capable of getting into even the most confined spaces and precarious spots on our equipment. In these circumstances, our crews will safely rescue live animals following established guidelines and work with local wildlife rescue organisations.