Rules on tree trimming to be reviewed

Homeowners can currently face fines of up to $10,000 for not keeping their trees and other vegetation away from power lines. Photo / iStock / Getty Images

Landowners' responsibilities for trimming back trees and vegetation could change after an investigation into current regulations was quietly announced.

The electricity industry has welcomed the move, arguing current rules aren't working and companies need a greater ability to manage trees before they fall on lines.

Homeowners can currently face fines of up to $10,000 for not keeping their trees and other vegetation away from power lines, although the first trim comes at the cost of the power company.

The rules are set by the Electricity (Hazards from Trees) Regulations 2003, which defines "growth limit zones" around power lines, ranging from 50cm to 2.5m, which dictates how much trimming is needed.

The law applies to lines on or above private property.

Vector, one of the country's numerous lines companies, said one out of every four power outages on its network was caused by trees.

If trees are identified as growing inside a growth limit zone, owners will be issued with cut or trim notices.

The first cut is covered by the lines company, usually through a contracted arborist because of the danger involved. Subsequent trimming is at the tree owners' cost.

Non-compliance with a notice can lead to a fine, as well as costs if network lines or equipment are damaged by trees.

An investigation of the current regulations was revealed in an action point on page 72 of the Government's Thirty Year Infrastructure plan, released on Thursday.

Graeme Peters, chief executive of the Electricity Networks Association, said the current regulations failed to deal with trees at the planning and planting stages.

Also, growth limit zones do not deal with the risks of trees falling on lines during storms.

"Nearly all the major power cuts we have around the country happen this way...for many of our members, especially in rural issues but also in urban areas, the trees are causing too much damage to the lines, particularly in high winds.

"They need to be trimmed, they need to be pruned back. And under the current regulations that doesn't give a suitable ability for us to do that. The upshot of that is it adds a lot of cost, and is also a health and safety issue."

The office of Energy and Resources Minister, Simon Bridges, referred all questions to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (Mbie), which will start the work in 2017.

Jamie Kerr, Mbie's manager of energy market's policy, said lines companies and large land owners, such as those in farming and forestry, typically have differing views on the regulations.

"Lines companies wanting landowners to clear broader paths for power lines, while landowners want to use as much of their land as possible. Other property right issues can also come into play.

"This is less of an issue in residential areas, although lines companies may sometimes find themselves in dispute with a homeowner about the need for a tree on or near their property to be trimmed."

Mr Kerr said Mbie would investigate the regulations between 2017 and 2019, and determine whether a more formal review was needed.