Protecting Endangered Birds

Each year, a number of birds of prey are killed or injured when they come in to contact with TasNetworks over head poles and wires. However, because our lines are often in remote, hard to reach places, we don’t know the true extent of the problem.

To help us respond in the most effective way possible, we are encouraging all of our regional customers to report incidents where it’s suspected a bird of prey has been impacted by TasNetworks power lines.

In particular, we want to know about listed threatened species that have been impacted including the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle, the white bellied sea eagle and the Grey Goshawk. Research shows that power lines in areas that are flat, close to waterways and away from forested areas are high-risk for bird strikes. Historically that means that most of our recorded incidents are on private agricultural land in the midlands, east coast and upper Derwent.

Reporting incidents means we can quickly install mitigation to prevent future impacts and equips us to make better decisions about how we protect wildlife into the future.

TasNetworks is spending $5m over five years to install bird flappers in high-risk locations. Over 78km of lines were mitigated in 2019-20 and another 180km will be installed over the next three years. We are also supporting wider protection and conservation efforts by investing in research and rehabilitation. You can help us by reporting incidents where birds of prey have been killed or injured near power lines, 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 132 004.

Want to know more about our response? Visit our website: https://www.tasnetworks.com.au... or email TasNetworks Environment and Sustainability team Environment@tasnetworks.com.au