Helicopters on the down low to survey Taranaki power poles

A low-flying helicopter was used for Powerco’s pole-top photography survey in Taranaki in 2020.

Taranaki residents can expect to see low-flying helicopters in December this year as Powerco inspects parts of its rural network in the region.

The work is part of a survey being undertaken by Powerco in which more than 36,000 power poles, lines and other associated hardware making up Powerco’s electricity network will be photographed.

It is not the first time this work has been conducted by Powerco. Similar pole-top photography surveys have taken place over four previous summers, and this latest survey aims to capture photos of any power poles not previously surveyed across Taranaki, as well as the Bay of Plenty, Coromandel and Manawatu¯.

The photographs enable Powerco to assess asset condition while also checking for potential issues such as trees growing into lines. If such issues are identified, work can take place to fix them before they cause power cuts.

The work in Taranaki is planned to take place from December 7 to 22, but may be extended in the event of bad weather. No flights will take place between December 23 and January 2.

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 work hard to minimise the potential disruption to customers, but we know that noise from low-flying helicopters can unsettle some animals or affect planned events.”

While the helicopters will be flying low, they will still follow all Civil Aviation Authority regulations, including those requiring them to only fly in open airspace, above 1000 feet in urban areas and above 500 feet in rural areas.

Any concerned customers should contact Powerco directly, Mark says.

“So we can alter our flight plan timings if necessary.”

■ For information about the flight areas or to ask a question or log a concern, customers can visit www. powerco.co.nz/helicopter.