Guidance on National Environmental Standards for Electricity Transmission Activities
- Introduction
- Background
- NES overview
- Application
- Activities
- Technical
- Inclusion in plans
- Definitions
- Links
You are here: NES Electricity Transmission Regulations > Application
How the regulations apply to transmission activity projects
This page sets out activities that may make up a transmission project. It also provides links to detailed guidance on how the NES deals with the activity. Work on specific projects may involve activities from more than one of the categories below. A project may also involve both main project activities and secondary activities or effects.
- Work on conductors
- Work on earthwires, telecommunications cables and telecommunications devices
- Undergrounding existing transmission lines and work on underground lines
- Work on transmission line support structures
- Tracking, ancillary earthworks and vegetation clearance
Seven project examples are provided also.
Work on conductors
Work on conductors may involve maintenance, replacement and addition of conductors. Other work may also be required as part of the project, such as upgrading towers, increasing the voltage or current, tracking to access the line, earthworks or vegetation clearance.
View technical information on types of conductors.
Follow these links if the work involves:
- Operating existing transmission lines
- Maintaining, replacing or adding conductors
- Adding overhead circuits
- Increasing the voltage or current rating
- Transmission lines—removal.
Follow these links if the project also involves:
- Work on earthwires, telecommunications cables and telecommunications devices
- Work on transmission line support structures
- Signs on or near transmission line support structures
- Temporary structures and temporary line deviation
- Vegetation clearance
- Earthworks
- Noise and vibration from construction activity
- Discharges to water
Work on earthwires, telecommunications cables and telecommunications devices
Follow these links if the work involves:
Follow these links if the work also involves:
- Work on transmission line support structures
- Vegetation clearance
- Earthworks
- Noise and vibration from construction activity
Undergrounding existing transmission lines and work on underground lines
Placing overhead transmission lines underground will involve removal of the existing line, earthworks to bury the underground conductors, and construction of a specially strengthened termination structure to replace one of the existing support structures.
Follow these links if the work involves:
- Maintaining, replacing or adding underground conductors or circuits
- Undergrounding existing overhead transmission lines
- Removing overhead lines
Follow these links if the project also involves:
- Signs on or near transmission line support structures
- Noise and vibration from construction activity
- Discharges to water
- Vegetation clearance
- Earthworks.
Work on transmission line support structures
Work on transmission line support structures could include tower strengthening, replacing hardware on towers, relocation, cleaning and painting.
Follow these links if the work involves:
- Altering, replacing or removing transmission line support structures
- Temporary structures and temporary line deviation
- Replacing an existing tower or pole with a termination structure as part of undergrounding an existing transmission line
- Surface preparation and applying protective coatings to foundations
- Signs on or near transmission line support structures.
Follow these links if the project also involves:
- Cleaning support structures and applying surface coatings
- Discharges to water
- Vegetation clearance
- Earthworks
- Noise and vibration from construction activity
Tracking, ancillary earthworks and vegetation clearance
- Using an existing access track
- Earthworks
- Earthworks on contaminated sites
- Vegetation clearance
- Discharges to water
- Noise and vibration from construction activity.
Last updated: 18 January 2010
