Service lines, street lines and private lines
The service line is the single line from the pole in the street to your house. The larger lines along the street are part of the network. Private lines are poles and wires on your own land, common on bigger blocks or where power runs to a shed or second dwelling, and they're part of your electrical installation.
Owners of private lines are responsible for keeping trees on their property clear of their own service or private lines, and of a private line on a neighbouring property.
Why you shouldn't prune it yourself
A branch touching a line can carry electricity into the tree, the ladder and the person on it, and a falling limb can bring the line down. Energy Safe Victoria's advice is to contact your electricity distributor to talk about pruning trees near powerlines safely. Use a tree contractor trained to work near powerlines, and ask whether the line needs to be made safe or disconnected while the work is done.
Signs it's time to act
Branches touching or rubbing the line, a line that moves with the tree in the wind, lights that flicker on windy days, or a tree that has shot up since the last trim. Hot northerly winds and summer storms are when branches drop and lines get hit, so deal with it in spring rather than after the damage.
Where an electrician comes in
If a branch has damaged the service bracket, the mast or the connection at the house, that part can be the owner's to fix, and it's licensed electrical work. Repairs to a private line are licensed work too, and the distributor will only reconnect a private line once a Certificate of Electrical Safety has been issued. If trees and an overhead line keep clashing, ask about moving the point of attachment or the supply route as part of a mains upgrade.
Services that can help
Read more in our guides
Related questions
- A power line to my house is down or sagging. What should I do?Stay well away and keep everyone else clear.
- Why do my lights flicker on windy days?If your lights flicker when the wind blows, the overhead line to your house is the first suspect.
- Is my meter box the same as my switchboard?Not quite, though they are often in the same place.
- Why does a Licensed Electrical Inspector need to check my new switchboard?Because replacing a main switchboard is prescribed work in Victoria.
Sources for this answer
2 sources, with the date each was checked
- 1.Energy Safe Victoria: PALs are low voltage poles and wires (which can be bare or insulated), generally located on private properties which form part of the electrical installation of the property and carry the electricity supply from the… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 2.CitiPower & Powercor: Customer installation defects fall under customer responsibility and require prompt rectifications to ensure either the safety of the electrical installation, unhindered access to our assets by our employees or that our… Accessed 30 September 2026.
General information for homes in Victoria. Every installation is different, so treat this as a starting point. Where this answer refers to Victorian safety or rental rules, the sources above have the current requirements.