Santa swaps sleigh for helicopter

By Riverine Herald

Dec 16, 2024

Santa and his helpers flew into the region to visit local school children recently. Photo by Contributed

Santa and his elves ditched the sleigh in favour of the Powercor helicopter, visiting children at Echuca Twin Rivers Specialist School and Nathalia Primary School recently.

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The visits to schools across northern, central and western Victoria are to say thank you to communities who have supported Powercor’s ongoing helicopter vegetation inspection and cutting program throughout the year.

Santa’s visits on the Powercor helicopter have become something of an annual tradition in the lead-up to the holiday season, and this year Santa and his elves once again delivered smiles, gifts and plenty of holiday magic.

Children in Nathalia and Echuca received a visit from Santa and his helpers recently. Photo by Contributed

Using LiDAR technology mounted on helicopters, Powercor staff inspect vegetation across the entire network, more than 77,000km of overhead lines.

With an expanded helicopter fleet, the full-year inspection program was completed ahead of time in June, with additional pre-summer inspections completed in July in the highest fire risk areas.

Staff have cut trees away from more than 50,000 powerline spans (the line between two power poles) in the Powercor network — an increase of 27 per cent on last year.

Powercor is responsible for the cutting and removal of trees near its powerlines within the boundaries of private properties and on public land, in order to maintain the required safe clearance space.