Amendments to Victoria’s Electricity Safety Act 1998 – What You Need to Be Aware Of
In May 2025, the Victorian Parliament passed ‘The Energy and Land Legislation Amendment (Energy Safety) Bill 2025’, introducing important changes to the Electricity Safety Act 1998, the Gas Safety Act 1997, and the Pipelines Act 2005. These changes aim to tighten the energy safety regulations in Victoria and strengthen the regulatory powers of Energy Safe Victoria as well as increase penalties for safety breaches.
Some of these amendments have already come into effect, while some are set to be in effect next April. (Source: Energy Safe Victoria, Premier of Victoria)
In this article we will focus on what changes have impacted the Electricity Safety Act.
Recent changes that have come into effect:
1. Tougher penalties for safety breaches
Penalties for some offences have been increased significantly to reflect the severity of those safety breaches. The full list of updated penalties can be found on the Energy Safe Victoria website.
2. Changes to bushfire mitigation plans for specified operators
Specified operators who manage overhead power lines in hazardous bushfire risk areas (at-risk electric lines) must now submit bushfire mitigation plans every five years instead of every year. However, these plans must still be reviewed and updated:
Before the five-year anniversary date in certain situations and certain changes in conditions
If requested by Energy Safe
More information on this can be found here.
3. Immediate suspension and injunctions
With increased regulatory powers, Energy Safe can now act immediately when public safety is at risk. Under the new amendments, it can:
Apply to courts for injunctions to stop unsafe or non-compliant activity.
Immediately suspend the registration of an electrical contractor or the licence of an electrical worker if there’s a risk to public safety.
More information on how suspensions might be carried out can be found here.
4. Adverse publicity orders
In instances where someone has been convicted or found guilty of an offence, Energy Safe can ask the courts to issue an adverse publicity order, which might mean that the offending party will be required to disclose details of their offence publicly.
5. Electric line clearance regulations, including the Code of Practice of electric line clearance, will now sunset every ten years instead of five.
6. Corporate plans from Energy Safe will be published every three years instead of annually.
7. The electric line clearance consultative committee will be removed from the legislation.
Source: Energy Safe Victoria
Changes that will come into effect from 1 April 2026:
1. Ability to issue prohibition notices
Energy Safe’s chairperson or authorised officers will be given the power to issue prohibition notices to immediately stop any activity that is a serious risk to safety.
2. Improved powers for authorised officers
Authorised officers will be given new powers to help them respond more effectively to safety concerns. These include:
Officers will be able to enter premises where they reasonably believe there’s a safety risk or non-compliance, provided they have a warrant.
Officers will be given the power to issue improvement notices for any breach of the Electricity Safety Act.
Officers will be allowed to request help from others when carrying out their duties. It will be an offence to refuse entry, obstruct, or hinder someone assisting them.
3. The Victorian Electrolysis Committee will be removed from the legislation.
Source: Energy Safe Victoria
For more information and further clarification on the updated legislation, visit the Energy Safe Victoria website.