ELECTRICITY distributor Powercor is considering cutting power supplies to high-risk towns on catastrophic fire alert days to minimise the risk of bushfires.

In its submission to the Bushfires Royal Commission the electricity distributor stated: "Powercor is considering whether the new fire rating should be a trigger to switch supply off to high-risk towns and the areas surrounding them".

"Such an initiative would require extensive community consultation and Victorian Government involvement prior to implementation. An initial feasibility study would be required to consider the practicality of disconnecting supply to these high-risk areas."

A Powercor Australia spokesman said turning off the power was a way of preventing electrical assets starting fires in extreme situations.

But the move may leave residents of Victoria's 52 high-risk towns without air-conditioning, access to television or the internet on days of extreme heat.

Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria president Gary Lyttle, who represents 60,000 firefighters, said turning off the power would create chaos.

"It would have a huge impact on the whole of Victoria as people need power to keep in touch with what's going on and run pumps," Mr Lyttle said.

"I'm amazed they (Powercor) even said it.

"I think it's hypocritical of Powercor to think it can take the easy way out, turning off the power rather than fixing the problem."

Power lines have been blamed for starting five of Black Saturday's fires that resulted in the deaths of 119 people.

The solicitors assisting the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission last week called for the state's powerlines to be bundled or buried to minimise the risk of them starting bushfires.

As reported in The Weekly Times earlier this month industry sources said the commission and Government were discussing the costs and benefits of spending $4 billion, spread over several years, on burying power lines.

But, as the article stated, electricity distributors wanted to know who would foot the bill.

The counsel assisting the commission, led by Jack Rush QC, has called for the Victorian Government to pay half the cost of burying and bundling all single-wire earth return (SWER) lines within 10 years and in the longer-term all high-voltage 22kV lines.

But the owner of eastern Victoria's electricity distribution network, SP AusNet, has warned it would cost $5.2 billion just to bundle and bury all its SWER and 22kV powerlines, which would require a 20 per cent rise in its customers' power bills every year for 20 years.

However, the costing assumes all its customers pay and all lines are buried or bundled.

SP AusNet's submission argued it would be far cheaper to insulate high-voltage lines and bundle SWER lines, at a cost of about $2 billion to $3 billion or alternatively spend $1 billion upgrading its targeted asset replacement program.

Previously Powercor has called for powerlines to be buried in high-risk areas.

But in its response to the counsels' submission Powercor argued bundling SWER lines would mean four times as many poles would have to be erected to carry the heavier cable, which could have a severe impact on farming.

It also said burying lines could add 40 per cent to the route length of many lines due to rock, undulations and buildings.

VICTORIA'S HIGH-RISK TOWNS•

  • Aireys Inlet (Aireys Inlet/Moggs Creek/Fairhaven/Big Hill)
  • Andersons Inlet (Inverloch, Venus Bay, Waratah Bay, Walkerville)
  • Anglesea
  • Barongarook
  • Barwon Downs
  • Bemm River
  • Bendigo
  • Blackwood
  • Blairgowrie
  • Bolwarra
  • Breamlea
  • Cann River
  • Carlisle River
  • Castlemaine
  • Cockatoo
  • Creswick
  • Dandenong Ranges
  • Daylesford
  • Deans Marsh  (Bambra/Pennyroyal)
  • Dereel
  • Dunkeld
  • Eaglehawk
  • Forrest
  • Gembrook
  • Greendale
  • Halls Gap
  • Hepburn
  • Jan Juc (Jan Juc/Bellbrae)
  • Junortoun
  • Kangaroo Flat
  • Kawaren
  • Lavers Hill
  • Loch Sport
  • Lorne
  • Macedon
  • Maiden Gully
  • Mallacoota
  • Marengo
  • Mt Helen/Mt Clear
  • Mt Macedon
  • Nelson
  • Noojee
  • Peterborough
  • Rye/St Andrews
  • Sandy Point
  • St Arnaud
  • Steiglitz
  • Trentham
  • Upper Beaconsfield
  • Warrandyte/North Warrandyte
  • Woodend
  • Wye River (Wye River/Kennett River/Separation Creek)