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Free install gives Aerial Marker Program lift off – Essential Energy

March 1, 2022

Free install gives Aerial Marker Program lift off

The below article is courtesy of Essential Energy and can be found on their website: https://www.essentialenergy.com.au/media-centre/media-release/mr-18032021

Regional energy distributor, Essential Energy, has launched a new Aerial Marker Program to help combat a dangerous rise in the number of safety incidents across New South Wales.

Last year’s welcome bumper harvest unfortunately coincided with a spike in equipment hitting powerlines and power poles across the network. To help reduce the risk of these potentially fatal accidents, Essential Energy has launched a program providing free installation of up to 10 aerial or “rotamarkers” per eligible customer, saving customers up to $1,000 each.

Essential Energy’s Head of Operations, Sarah Roche said “We’ve seen a variety of incidents across our footprint, including tipper trucks and aerial spraying (crop dusting) planes coming into contact with our network.”

“We know that these aerial markers work, we have never had a safety incident on a powerline where we have installed these markers, which is why we’re launching this new Aerial Marker Installation Program.”

“At Essential Energy, safety is at the core of everything we do and we’re always looking for ways to help people be as safe as possible working around powerlines,” Ms Roche said.

This is the second initiative Essential Energy has rolled out to address the spike in safety incidents in the last 12 months. In September, the business launched its network on the Look Up and Live app, making overhead powerline locations and imagery available to the public online, at no cost, via an interactive geospatial map.

“The Aerial marker program is a logical next step for the business,” Sarah said. “We’ve provided a tool that people can use to plan for a safe operation through the Look Up and Live App, and now we are helping make practical tools that the community can use to make their farms and work sites safer more accessible.”

Customers may also be eligible for a $500 SafeWork NSW rebate to help pay for the markers.

“Our aim is to make the installation of these markers as accessible as possible, and to that end we’re pleased that SafeWork’s $500 rebate can be used to also reduce the cost of the markers.”

For more information on Essential Energy’s Aerial Marker Program visit essentialenergy.com.au/aerialmarkerprogram

For information on the Look Up and Live App, please visit www.lookupandlive.com.au or search for ‘Look Up and Live’ on the App or Google Play store.

Download a pdf version of this media release

Media contact: Mitchell Cutting, Media & PR Specialist
M: 0428 167 737