In Australia, liability for a fire caused by a transmission line generally depends on who owns and controls the asset and whether legal safety obligations were met.
High‑voltage transmission lines are owned and operated by transmission network service providers. These operators have a legal responsibility to design, operate, inspect, maintain, and manage vegetation around their infrastructure to minimise bushfire risk. If a transmission asset causes a fire due to equipment failure or inadequate maintenance, the operator may be liable for resulting damage, even if the fire starts on private land.
Landowners are typically responsible only for privately owned electrical assets, such as private poles or lines beyond the network connection point, and for vegetation they control outside the transmission easement.
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