Living and working near transmission lines

What is transmission infrastructure?

Transmission infrastructure includes high-voltage power lines and associated equipment that carries electricity over long distances. These lines connect renewable energy sources like wind and solar farms to the grid, helping power homes, businesses, hospitals, schools and other valuable services across Victoria.

Living, working and farming near transmission

Victorians have lived, worked and farmed near transmission lines for decades. Many farms currently co-exist with the 6,500 km of transmission lines across Victoria.

Transmission Network Service Providers (TNSPs) manage and operate this infrastructure. They also determine what activities can safely take place within transmission easements.

Advice can vary depending on the infrastructure, but some considerations when farming near or on transmission easements are listed below.

• Height restrictions for some irrigation systems and machinery.
• Most irrigation can be used with height restrictions, but large gun irrigators* cannot operate within the easement.
• During construction, the easement will be partially or fully occupied for construction works, but grazing and cropping can continue next to the easement.
• Crops with deep roots and rooted vegetation cannot be planted in the easement of an underground transmission line.
• Aerial spraying cannot occur within an overhead transmission easement.
• Drones may be allowed within an overhead transmission easement subject to a safety assessment and permission from the TNSP.
• In the event of a bushfire, the TNSP will work with Emergency Management Victoria and the CFA to ensure aerial firefighting can take place within and near transmission easements.
• Electric and non-electrified and metallic fences are allowed subject to height limits, TNSP approval and suitable earthing.

Read our working and farming near transmission infrastructure factsheet for a general guide on what activities are permitted around transmission infrastructure.

*A large gun is a high-capacity, high-pressure irrigation sprinkler used to water large areas, often in farming or pastures.

Overhead and underground transmission

Both overhead transmission lines and underground cables have advantages and disadvantages to consider when planning transmission projects, however most of Victoria’s 6,500 km of transmission network is overhead.

While overhead lines may have visual impacts, they also have better capacity, easier accessibility for maintenance, and can allow new renewable energy sources to connect along the line.

Underground can sometimes be the preferred solution, for example, where no additional connections are needed or where overhead is not possible because of the terrain. However, underground cables have environmental and land use impacts, can be technically challenging and are considerably more expensive.

For more information, read our overhead and underground transmission factsheet. For an in-depth look into how each transmission type is constructed, operated and maintained, read the summary of transmission infrastructure factsheet.

Electric and magnetic fields

Electric and magnetic fields, also known as EMFs, occur when electricity is flowing or there is an electrical force. They can occur naturally, such as lightning or solar activity, or from human activity, such as powerlines and common household appliances.

Australians and people around the world have been living with appliances that emit EMFs for many decades.

There is no established evidence that transmission line EMFs pose a risk to human health. Studies have also not found any observable impacts on the health and productivity of cows, sheep, pigs and horses.

There are some possible impacts to smart farming technologies, but TNSPs will work with landholders to ensure these impacts are mitigated or minimised.

To learn more, read our transmission lines and electric and magnetic fields factsheet.

Fire safety

Victoria's transmission network is designed, operated and maintained in line with strict safety laws and regulations to reduce the risk of bushfires.

TNSPs in Victoria must have an Electricity Safety Management Plan, which sets out how they reduce the risk of transmission lines starting fires.

Energy Safe Victoria monitors compliance with these plans and holds transmission companies to account for any breaches or non-compliance. Read ESV's transmission and bushfires factsheet to learn more about how safety is assured from design through to decommissioning of transmission infrastructure.

The CFA has standard operating procedures for how its members can work safely around high-voltage transmission lines and large pylons. To learn more, visit fighting fires around transmission lines.

Biosecurity for transmission infrastructure and other energy assets

Protecting farms from pests, weeds, diseases and contaminants is important. There are a range of laws, rules and guidelines to protect Victorian farms from biosecurity threats. These provide guidance to transmission companies for before, during and after the construction of transmission lines and other energy assets.

Some practices and responsibilities for transmission companies are listed below.

• Before considering construction, attempt to negotiate a voluntary Landowner Access Agreement with the host landholder. This document defines when and how properties will be accessed.
• Adhering to the terms of the Landowner Access Agreement when accessing a landholder's property.
• Providing landholders with details of the company's biosecurity policies and procedures before accessing land.
• Documenting any environmental or biosecurity incidents that occur and communicating to landholders how the incidents have been managed.
• Monitoring and following biosecurity controls to protect crops and livestock around properties and transmission infrastructure.
• Contacting the farmer or land manager before visits to discuss mitigations for biosecurity risks.
• Removing mud, dirt and manure from clothes, boots and equipment before disinfecting them.
• If they have been in contact with livestock, changing clothes or coveralls and washing hands before visiting the next farm.

Some landholder responsibilities are listed below.

• Making sure the Landowner Access Agreement contains reasonable requirements for access to their property, including access points and the farm’s biosecurity management plan.
• Having signage at entry and exit points with easy-to-follow information on the farm's biosecurity management plan.
• Reporting biosecurity risks or incidents by calling Agriculture Victoria's Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881 or the Emergency Animal Diseases Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888.

To learn more, read our transmission infrastructure and biosecurity factsheet.

Compensation and landholder payments

Landholders who host new transmission easements are entitled to compensation in line with the Victorian Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986 (known as the LACA).

The LACA is designed to fully compensate landholders for the establishment of easements on their land, including the impact on farming and business operations.

Compensation amounts are set through negotiation with an energy company. Landholders can have an independent valuation and be reimbursed for reasonable costs associated with this process.

Compensation is calculated using many factors including:

• the market value of the acquired easement
• disturbance
• costs associated with seeking legal and professional advice
• some non-financial losses.

The compensation and landholder payments factsheet has been developed to help landholders understand their rights:

Land access code of practice

Access to private land is important for Victoria's energy transition. Energy companies need to engage with landholders in good faith and in a way that is transparent, clear, and considerate of a landholder’s needs.

To help achieve this, the Essential Services Commission has introduced a land access code of practice, which energy companies must follow when seeking access to private land in Victoria. The code aims to minimise the impact of land access by energy companies and improve consultation with landholders.

For more information, visit the Essential Services Commission's Land Access Code of Practice page.

New land access provisions

Before energy corporations access land, they must first work cooperatively with landholders to agree on voluntary access in accordance with the land access code of practice.

A new framework is being introduced to ensure appropriate behaviour by private transmission developers and enable delivery of crucial transmission projects.

The changes are designed to give communities and industry certainty and to bring arrangements for transmission infrastructure in line with the delivery of other vital major public infrastructure such as water, transport and telecommunications.

To find out more, read our changes to land access factsheet below.

Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner

The office of the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner (AEIC) helps community members address their concerns about proposed or operating wind farms, large-scale solar farms, energy storage facilities and new major transmission projects.

The office also identifies and promotes best practices and works with stakeholders across government, industry, and community.

Contact the AEIC for further information.

Page last updated: 07/11/25