How Many More Trees Need To Fall On Power Lines Before The Rules Change?

Cyclone Tam left over 40,000 people in Northland and Auckland without power. Electricity Networks Aotearoa (ENA) says it's yet another wake-up call to fix New Zealand’s outdated tree regulations — before more people are left in the dark.

Trees and branches coming into contact with power lines are a leading cause of power outages during storms.

"For over a decade, lines companies have been asking for change. The current law regulating trees is over 20 years old. Lines companies are tired of waiting for Government to make changes that will help them manage network reliability more effectively — and keep electricity affordable for consumers,” says ENA Chief Executive, Tracey Kai.

“In 2024 alone, lines companies spent more than $67 million managing trees including pruning and felling trees that obstructed power lines. That’s money added to people's power bills — and yet we’re still seeing major outages when storms hit.”

“On top of that, every time there are major power outages, many people are out of pocket. Businesses can’t open their doors, EFTPOS goes down, refrigerators stop working, and some lose thousands in perishable stock. The financial impact could be lessened by changing the tree regulations.”

ENA represents all 29 lines companies across Aotearoa and has long advocated for changes to the Electricity (Hazards from Trees) Regulations 2003. The current rules make it difficult for lines companies to act early to prevent tree-related power outages — and don’t require landowners or forestry operators to remove trees they own that clearly pose a risk to power lines. The result is what we saw during Cyclone Gabrielle where around 60% of power outages were a result of trees.

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“These significant weather events are becoming more frequent and severe. The regulations written in 2003 are not fit for purpose in 2025 and beyond. Unless we see action, trees will continue taking down power lines and cutting power to homes and businesses,” says Kai.

The Government has expressed a commitment to improving infrastructure and enabling effective service delivery across New Zealand. ENA says updating the tree regulations would be a practical step in that direction and would give lines companies the tools they need to proactively manage vegetation risks and keep the lights on for New Zealanders, without increasing power prices.

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