Aerial Arborists and The Lines Company achieve New Zealand first live-line helisaw clearance

24 September 2026

Aerial Arborists Limited has completed New Zealand’s first live-line helisaw power line corridor clearance in partnership with The Lines Company (TLC), marking a significant advance in vegetation management for electricity networks.

The milestone was achieved on TLC’s 33kV Kuratau power line through Rotoaira Forest, where vegetation was cleared alongside a high-voltage line without turning power off to customers. It shows helisaw operations can be safely used for live-line vegetation management, under suitable conditions, supported by robust planning, specialist aviation capability, suitable forestry growth and careful outage mitigation.

The work reduces vegetation risk on a critical section of the Kuratau feeder. By maintaining safe clearances between trees and conductors, TLC and forestry companies can reduce the likelihood of faults, unplanned outages and fire risk, while improving long-term supply resilience.

“Completing this work safely beside a live 33kV line is a landmark achievement for Aerial Arborists, TLC and the wider New Zealand electricity and forestry sectors,” said Andrew Peckham, Director and Co-Owner, Aerial Arborists Limited.

“Helisaw technology enables vegetation to be managed at scale in terrain where conventional ground-based arborist operations can be slow, costly and expose workers to unnecessary risk.”

Helisaw systems use purpose-designed saw blades suspended beneath a helicopter to trim trees along power line corridors. The approach is particularly effective in remote, steep or densely forested environments where ground access is difficult.

For the Rotoaira Forest operation, aerial clearance delivered a faster, safer alternative to ground-based methods, reduced the cost of maintaining the line corridor and avoided the customer impacts of a planned outage.

The achievement builds on Aerial Arborists and TLC’s pioneering use of helisaw technology, which won the Innovation in Energy Award at the 2025 New Zealand Energy Excellence Awards. Judges recognised its contribution to arborist safety, lower costs, particularly in remote areas, and more proactive vegetation management.

TLC first trialled helisaw operations in April 2024, clearing approximately 950 metres of radiata pine along a 33kV corridor in just over an hour. Since then, it has become an increasingly important part of TLC’s vegetation management approach.

The technology presents opportunities for forestry owners too, enabling efficient corridor management, while supporting good forestry practices, reducing risks to both infrastructure and the wider environment.

“Vegetation remains one of the most persistent risks to electricity network reliability, particularly in rural and forestry environments,” said Gerhard Buitendach, General Manager Network, The Lines Company.

“Under the right circumstances, live-line helisaw helps improve electricity reliability, reduce outages and lowers long-term network maintenance costs – benefits that ultimately flow through to our customers and communities.”

Aerial Arborists Limited expects the successful live-line operation to create a pathway for wider use of helisaw clearance across New Zealand’s electricity distribution and forestry sectors.

“This is not simply a faster way to cut trees,” said Andrew Peckham. “It is a safer, more scalable way to protect electricity infrastructure and keep power on for communities.”

THIS IS A JOINT MEDIA RELEASE WITH AERIAL ARBORISTS LTD