Aerial Fibre Cables, Trees and Wind Damage

Forums › New Zealand Broadband › Aerial Fibre Cables, Trees and Wind Damage - Who is liable?

outdoorsnz

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#323389 27-Nov-2025 15:18

Out the front of my property there is a power pole (outside my boundary) that provides power to me only from transformer in the ground, and aerial fiber to me and two cables that go goes over the road to pole.

I have some trees on my property and one large one outside my property (council). Trees have gone nuts this year and grown through the lines etc.

So as I understand it, if I damage lines while trimming trees, I'm at fault and at my cost to fix? Chorus does not trim trees.

But what if wind causes branches to damage lines? Who is at fault? I had mixed messages on this talking to Chorus. One person said yes you are at fault and the other said, no wind tree damage is not your fault.

I need to ring power people to ask them to trim trees as first cut is free. As I type, it is windy and I hear the local fire alarm go off twice!

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#3437985 27-Nov-2025 15:50

I think you for everything. Unlike power cables overhead telecommunication are the owners problem. That's how it was communicated to me.

I have an overhead fibre wire that comes from near a neighbour, through their trees, and then through some on mine before it turns 90 degrees and hits my house.

When they (chorus) did it, they said it was my responsibility to keep the trees clear - including my neighbours trees. Their fibre cable doesn't use the same poles.

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outdoorsnz

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#3437992 27-Nov-2025 16:36

davidcole:

I think you for everything. Unlike power cables overhead telecommunication are the owners problem. That's how it was communicated to me.

I have an overhead fibre wire that comes from near a neighbour, through their trees, and then through some on mine before it turns 90 degrees and hits my house.

When they (chorus) did it, they said it was my responsibility to keep the trees clear - including my neighbours trees. Their fibre cable doesn't use the same poles.

So what happens if you don't trim, and tree knocks em down? Tree outside property (berm) is not mine and very much dangling with cables, and council might play the not mine either game.

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#3437993 27-Nov-2025 16:40

outdoorsnz:

davidcole:

I think you for everything. Unlike power cables overhead telecommunication are the owners problem. That's how it was communicated to me.

I have an overhead fibre wire that comes from near a neighbour, through their trees, and then through some on mine before it turns 90 degrees and hits my house.

When they (chorus) did it, they said it was my responsibility to keep the trees clear - including my neighbours trees. Their fibre cable doesn't use the same poles.

So what happens if you don't trim, and tree knocks em down? Tree outside property (berm) is not mine and very much dangling with cables, and council might play the not mine either game.

er yeah. These are running along the footpath outside mine and neighbours boundary. I dunno what will happen, or who will be liable if, say, my neighbours trees kill my cable. At least my trees i can remedy.

But it's not like trees over a common fence (ie into my property) where you are allowed to prune them. These are their trees over the public footpath.

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#3438002 27-Nov-2025 17:49

davidcole:

I think you for everything. Unlike power cables overhead telecommunication are the owners problem. That's how it was communicated to me.

I have an overhead fibre wire that comes from near a neighbour, through their trees, and then through some on mine before it turns 90 degrees and hits my house.

When they (chorus) did it, they said it was my responsibility to keep the trees clear - including my neighbours trees. Their fibre cable doesn't use the same poles.

Kind of the opposite to my experience in the past (admittedly rural, and ~20 years ago so fully copper days), tree came down and took out power + phone aerial cables along the driveway run. Telecom did all their work for free because it was on their side of the house (not sure if wiring & maintenance played a part?), power company charged a fortune for replacing/restringing their wires (poles were in tact).

Somewhat interested what would be the case now, Vector replaced/renewed the power poles along the drive just before COVID and claimed "we own and are responsible for them now, not you like in the past", but I would suspect in the event of wind/tree damage they'd be right on the "tree owner is liable" bandwagon.

Given changes with the operating models and the fact that I imagine fibre is slightly harder to replace (it's not exactly chop the copper line at a random point and throw some joiners in easy at least), I wouldn't be surprised if Chorus/the other LFCs follow the tree owner is liable model, and only wanting to accept liability for poor workmanship.

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#3438040 27-Nov-2025 19:32

So the big difference is who owns the lines/cables. They are different ownership models, so a power company generally owns to the boundary of your property, anything past that point you own. Telcos own to the ONT so those fibre lines are their responsibility. This is why if you get a new power connection you supply the cable to the fuse enclosure or pole but new fibre they go all the way in to your home.

Power networks are covered by the electrical code and ECP 34 that determines safe working near power lines and therefore clearances of vegetation, I don't know for sure if telco has an equivalent code of practice that's as enforceable as this as ultimately the risk working close to fibre that is coated is far less than working close to exposed power lines.

Who is responsible if the tree goes through lines however is different, usually it is the owner of the tree who is responsible for its maintenance and if it should it damage lines they are the ones who usually end up paying for it. The problem is usually proving what tree caused the damage. In a lot of cases it's obvious but sometimes it's not as clear. If it's chorus line though they will likely be the ones playing find the tree and owner that was responsible.

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#3438062 27-Nov-2025 21:42

You're responsible.

I tried Chorus and power company when it came to all their lines running through a tree on my property years ago. Basic response was basically "better hope you dont have issues then".

So we got the tree removed. With no help from either service although power company do say they can assist with trimming etc -yeah right.

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outdoorsnz

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#3438112 28-Nov-2025 09:04

Thanks for all the replies. My property trees have got quite large, but they are mostly silver birch which should be pretty easy to attack... Hopefully!

It is a catch 22. As chorus guy said, arborists wont touch anything with lines (ok you can easily disconnect power) or fiber cables going through or near them.

The tree of most concern is on the berm and is taller than the power pole. The council is being very slippery on this. Wording is like an insurance company. I've been very clear on that tree, not mine.

I have proved my boundaries as lucky I had got a survey done when I moved here.

raytaylor

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#3438343 28-Nov-2025 20:03

If the tree is on public land then the power lines company will usually trim them.
Chorus can trim them, and has the power under the telecommunications act to do so, but most of the network is moving underground so often wont be motivated to until there is a fault logged.

When a power or telco line is installed on private land, there is usually an easement of some sort that goes along with it. The condition on that easement will be that there are to be no trees planted along the easement. Routes are chosen specifically so future maintenance cost is reduced. Alternatively for a drop cable, the homeowner is told of their responsibility to keep the trees trimmed.

If a landowner then ignores the responsibility to trim the trees on their property, keep them short or goes ahead and plants trees along the route then they are liable for the cost.

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everettpsycho

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#3438375 28-Nov-2025 22:04

raytaylor:

If the tree is on public land then the power lines company will usually trim them.
Chorus can trim them, and has the power under the telecommunications act to do so, but most of the network is moving underground so often wont be motivated to until there is a fault logged.

When a power or telco line is installed on private land, there is usually an easement of some sort that goes along with it. The condition on that easement will be that there are to be no trees planted along the easement. Routes are chosen specifically so future maintenance cost is reduced. Alternatively for a drop cable, the homeowner is told of their responsibility to keep the trees trimmed.

If a landowner then ignores the responsibility to trim the trees on their property, keep them short or goes ahead and plants trees along the route then they are liable for the cost.

Not entirely true, power lines on your land feeding your property are yours to maintain. Each lines company has it's own rules on who owns the poles and lines but the general rules are if it only feed that land owner then they own it, if it crosses a parcel to a different one the lines company owns it until it meets the above criteria.

As you own and are responsible for the line you do not need an easement for it to be there, however overhead lines must be maintained with the clearance rules set out in ecp34.

Aurora energy has some good diagrams about line and cable ownership for power, telco operated very different rules and does require easements.

Aurora energy ownership