Communities across regional, rural and remote New South Wales may soon notice low‑flying drones and helicopters in their area as Essential Energy begins its yearly Pre‑Summer Bushfire Inspection (PSBI) program.

These aerial inspections are a key step in reducing bushfire risk and improving network reliability ahead of the hotter months. Each year, the program helps identify vegetation or equipment issues that could become hazards during summer. By detecting problems early, crews can prioritise maintenance and vegetation clearing in the areas where communities will benefit most.

According to Essential Energy’s Head of Vegetation and Specialised Services, Belinda Kallmier, inspecting the network on a regular basis is an important part of how the energy distributor manages bushfire risk in order to keep our communities and our people safe.

“These inspections provide us with high quality vision of our network that helps us to identify potential hazards early. From there, we can prioritise critical maintenance and vegetation clearing before the next bushfire season,” Belinda says.

Drones, in particular will be used across more locations during this year’s inspections, allowing crews to safely assess hard‑to‑reach places without needing to climb, travel long distances or work near challenging terrain. They also reduce disruption to customers and provide more detailed images of the network.

“Drones are improving the way we inspect our network as they allow us to capture high quality information safely and efficiently from the air,” Belinda says.

“We’re checking for things like trees that are growing too close to the powerlines, damaged or worn components, and anything that might compromise safety or reliability. By combining drone imagery with AI‑supported analysis, we can detect issues earlier, prioritise work more accurately and continue to keep both our communities and our people safe.”

Where drones cannot operate, helicopter‑mounted cameras will be used to safely capture overhead views of the network.

The PSBI program is supported by advanced bushfire risk modelling developed alongside the University of Melbourne and other New South Wales electricity distribution networks.

“Technology helps us better understand how factors like temperature, fuel load, vegetation and the network interact and how we can prioritise operations in higher risk areas,” Belinda says.

As the program gets underway, customers may see low‑flying drones or helicopters in their area as part of these safety inspections.

Customers in inspection areas will receive notifications before aerial activity begins. If property access is required, service providers will attempt to contact customers.

Essential Energy encourages customers to update their contact details with their electricity retailer to ensure they receive timely notifications.

For more information on our aerial inspection schedule, please visit Aerial Inspections.