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.