Compliance and enforcement policy and priorities

Annual priorities


Bushfire mitigation	Complex renewable energy safety	Safety around powerlines	Apprentice safety	Safety at home

Our priorities for financial year 2024–2025 target harms across the energy value chain. We based our priorities on information and evidence from a range of sources.

Our role is to prevent harm caused by energy-related infrastructure and practices. We do this by monitoring and enforcing compliance with Victoria’s energy safety legislative framework.

This includes:

working with regulated entities to ensure energy safety requirements are known, understood and complied with
working with community to provide advice and increase awareness of energy safety
monitoring and enforcing compliance with the energy safety legislative framework
targeting regulatory action – informed by technical safety expertise and data – to achieve the safest outcomes
holding regulated entities to account for non-compliance with energy safety requirements.

Our priorities for 2024–2025

Large bushfires destroy lives, homes and property, the environment and livelihoods.
Electricity assets have a history of causing bushfires in Victoria. Major electricity companies and councils need to manage the risks – and prevent bushfires caused by energy infrastructure in Victoria.
Vegetation management around distribution powerlines helps prevent bushfires from occurring. This is especially important during the bushfire season. Major electricity companies and councils have a duty to deliver vegetation management programs.
The use of renewable energy technology to generate and store energy in Victoria is increasing. These technologies include wind, solar, geothermal, bioenergy and battery energy storage systems.
These technologies can cause:
- bushfires
- serious injuries
- fatalities.
Anyone involved in implementing these technologies must ensure their systems are safe. This includes those involved in:
- planning
- design
- construction
- operation
- maintenance
- decommissioning.
Energy Safe will raise awareness about renewable energy hazards. We will outline ways for owners and operators to manage risks – and we will hold owners and operators to account.
Working at height or operating machinery near overhead powerlines is dangerous.
There is high risk for an electrical contact incident, which can cause serious injuries and fatalities. Contact incidents are increasing across Victoria.
Contact with a powerline can cause a fire, result in electric shock or electrocution. These incidents can also threaten nearby properties and the electricity network.
Energy Safe advises the Victorian community and industry on powerline safety. We are focused on preventing incidents, injury and death from live powerline contact.
Electrical apprentices are a high-risk group for electrical safety. Inadequate technical skills and a lack of on-site supervision can lead to:
- serious injuries
- fatalities
- house fires
- damage to property.
It's important that electrical apprentices complete required technical training and gain on-site instruction – through adequate supervision by qualified electricians – to become licensed and work safely themselves.
Energy Safe supports electrical apprentices to get their licenses and follow safe work practices.
There are many new and emerging safety risks with home energy use – and products – that could result in harm to the community. Unsafe home energy use can result in:
- serious injuries
- fatalities
- house fires
- damage to property.
Examples of unsafe energy use at home and in the community are:
- Not using a qualified tradesperson to install and maintain energy generation, distribution and storage systems in households.
- Purchasing unsafe products through online platforms and retailers.
- Installers not having the skills to safely install new and emerging energy products.
- Risks associated with lithium-ion batteries in the home.
Energy Safe will continue to protect Victorians from unsafe products. We will continue to to educate and raise awareness about energy hazards at home and in the community.

Compliance and Enforcement Policy

The Compliance and Enforcement Policy sets out Energy Safe’s approach – how we promote and enforce compliance with Victoria's energy safety legislative framework.

The Compliance and Enforcement Policy can be viewed here:

Energy Safe - Compliance And Enforcement Policy 2021

PDF 104.59 KB

Date: 21/11/2024 2:47

Controlled document

The currency and accuracy of this document cannot be guaranteed once printed or saved to a storage device. If in doubt, please check the ESV website for the current version.

Regulatory framework

Reviewed 7 August 2024