Decommissioning of the old Eyre Peninsula high voltage transmission line has been challenging but rewarding as the project draws to a close.
High voltage transmission towers can be a perfect place for birds to make their nests but unfortunately their activities can cause electrical faults which reduce service reliability. While bird nests can cause problems, it’s also important to protect our native species. This is why our project team, contractor, Enerven, and Traditional Owner monitors, chose to delay demolition works on two towers on the Eyre Peninsula to give native birds time to leave their nests on their own accord.
Enerven completed drone inspections and located families of falcons and raptors taking care of their young. Some neighboring towers were found to have another nest but with no chicks.
Senior Development Advisor, Alecia Wright, said, “ElectraNet made the decision to hold off on felling the towers housing the rare native raptors and falcons following surveys from Enerven and acted on advice from Traditional Owner, Jason Bilney, and District Ranger with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Peter Wilkins.”
“We’d like to thank our contractors and stakeholders for being sustainable in their operations and giving these cute critters an opportunity to leave their nest on their own terms and in their own time,” Alecia said.
Rest assured that next breeding season, these parents will find a new home to raise a family.
