Low flying helicopter inspecting power poles
Powerco is using a low flying helicopter to inspect sections of its rural electricity network from mid-October to December.
The work is part of a pole top photography survey, which will take high resolution aerial photos of more than 29,000 power poles, lines and associated hardware across Powerco’s North Island electricity network.
This allows Powerco to assess the condition of its assets, check for any potential issues such as trees growing into lines, and fix them before they cause power cuts.
Timeframes may be extended in the event of bad weather, however the planned work is as follows:
- Western Bay of Plenty: 13 October - 29 October
- Coromandel, Hauraki and South Waikato: 22 October – 7 November
- Wairarapa: 13 November – 30 November
- Manawatū: 29 November – 13 December
- Whanganui: 6 November – 20 November
- Taranaki: 6 December – 21 December
Powerco Head of Customer Delivery Mark Hermann says customers are being notified about the flight paths in advance through a range of online, print and social media advertising, as well as direct communication with local stakeholders and community groups.
“We understand that low flying helicopters can sometimes be unsettling, particularly for animals or when people have events planned.
“By sharing flight details early, we can work with customers to minimise any disruption where we can,” says Mark Hermann.
For information about the flight areas, or to ask a question or log a concern, customers can visit www.powerco.co.nz/helicopter.
The low flying helicopter will strictly follow Civil Aviation Authority regulations, only flying above 300 metres in urban areas, and above 150 metres in rural areas.
Powerco has conducted a pole top photography survey during the past six previous summers. This latest survey, running from October to December 2025, will capture photos of any power poles not previously surveyed across western Bay of Plenty, Coromandel, South Waikato, Manawatū, Wairarapa and Taranaki.
