dial before you dig: it’s the law in new south wales...dial before you dig nsw/act...

Proceedings of the 17th Association of Public Authority Surveyors Conference (APAS2012) Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, 19-21 March 2012

158

Dial Before You Dig: It’s the Law in New South Wales

Dominic Puiu

Dial Before You Dig NSW/ACT dpuiu@bigpond.com

ABSTRACT After a series of embarrassing power cuts to the Sydney CBD in 2009, the New South Wales Government criminalised reckless and deliberate damage to gas and electricity networks. As a result, New South Wales is the only Australian jurisdiction to specifically require notification of excavations to Dial Before You Dig. Despite this requirement, major damage to underground utilities still occurs. Repair costs and lost business total thousands of millions of dollars every year. Many workers are also put at risk from contact with gas mains and electricity cables. Understanding the nature of utility networks allows surveyors to avoid liability and reduce the risk of damage to networks under your work sites. KEYWORDS: Utilities, underground networks, damage, liability.

Proceedings of the 17th Association of Public Authority Surveyors Conference (APAS2012) Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, 19-21 March 2012

159

Proceedings of the 17th Association of Public Authority Surveyors Conference (APAS2012) Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, 19-21 March 2012

160

Proceedings of the 17th Association of Public Authority Surveyors Conference (APAS2012) Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, 19-21 March 2012

161

Proceedings of the 17th Association of Public Authority Surveyors Conference (APAS2012) Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, 19-21 March 2012

162

Proceedings of the 17th Association of Public Authority Surveyors Conference (APAS2012) Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, 19-21 March 2012

163

Proceedings of the 17th Association of Public Authority Surveyors Conference (APAS2012) Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, 19-21 March 2012

164