More than 7,000 Logan residents lost power due to trees and branches hitting powerlines in the severe stormfront from a fortnight ago.
Energex also responded to one incident at Logan Village causing 160 residents to lose power for 10 hours, all because of one tree that fell in the storms and damaged the power network on Waterford-Tamborine Road.
This has prompted Energex to issue a warning to people to think twice about the types of plants they are putting around powerlines.
Powerline damage from singular trees falling on power networks is a main cause of outages in Queensland. It has also caused a series near misses with electric shocks.
Energex Area Manager Matt Hilder said this could be avoided if people planted suitable species in their yards and avoided fast-growing vegetation, like bamboo.
“Fast-growing plants like bamboo can quickly shoot up to 20 metres in no time and the wrong species of tree can cause serious safety risks when planted under, or too close to powerlines,” he said.
“This is why gardeners need to consider a plant’s maximum mature height, then plant it even further than that from power infrastructure to preserve supply and keep everyone safe in the event the vegetation clashes with or comes down on powerlines during severe weather.”
Energex has a safe tree guide that people can access for free, outlining suitable species for powerline areas.
“Under no circumstances should anyone get up there themselves and trim trees near powerlines because one simple mistake could turn into a tragedy.”
