Electricity distribution company Powercor has admitted to failing to cut back vegetation around its powerlines, triggering a risk management failure that resulted in a bushfire in western Victoria.

Today in the Shepparton Magistrates Court, Powercor pleaded guilty to more than 100 charges relating to the issue.

Of the charges, one related to a bushfire that started under powerlines at Glenmore, west of Melbourne, on February 17, 2023.

The blaze burnt across about 185 hectares of land, threatening homes and destroying sheds, fences, and farming equipment.

The 104 charges related to a failure of general duty, failure to inspect power lines, and failure to mitigate bushfire risk by cutting back vegetation that was too close to power lines.

Prosector Andrew Woods of government regulator Energy Safe Victoria read out the summary of agreed facts in court, and said Powercor failed to maintain its network, with the fire being the result of this failure.

The court heard Powercor failed to inspect lines in the Horsham and Shepparton areas and cut vegetation according with the minimum clearance span of 2.25 metres between trees and powerlines.

Powercor was required to clear and inspect lines every calendar year ahead of the fire danger period.

In the Glenmore area, no cutting had occurred between March 2022 and the time of the fire.

Energy Safe Victoria inspections in 2021 and 2022 showed 140 instances of vegetation not meeting the minimum clearance distance from powerlines in areas across Victoria and including Ballarat, Bendigo, Hamilton, and Terang.

Fire caused by trees touching powerlines

On the day of the Glenmore fire a total fire ban was in place with extreme weather conditions, the court heard.

At about 3:30pm, a landowner noticed a fire on Glenmore Road where the top canopy of trees near the powerline were alight.

Emergency services were called and the CFA attended.

CFA investigators and Energy Safe Victoria inspectors attended the site after the fire, finding that three trees near lines were less than the 2.25 metre requirement, with one tree's vegetation just 70 centimetres from a conductor.

A summary of facts said the powerlines would of sagged towards the ground in the heat of the day and it was likely the trees were touching the lines.

In December 2022, Powercor cancelled cutting works below the powerline to focus on areas considered to be of higher priority.

Worker shortages contributed to shortcomings

In pleading guilty, Powercor said workforce shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic had severely hampered the company's capacity to clear vegetation trees and inspect lines.

it said skilled workers were required to complete the work, and prior to the pandemic workers would travel interstate to clear and inspect lines.

But this was no longer possible due to travel restrictions during the pandemic.

The company had met with Jobs Victoria to discuss the workforce shortage, the court heard.

Powercor had worked to increase the reliability of its workforce by engaging cutting crews that were direct employees of contractors, instead of sub contractors.

But the court heard many workers who lived in Victoria had left the industry.

Powercor's defence said the early plea of guilty in the inspection and clearage matter showed it was remorseful.

The court heard in pleading guilty the company fully accepted responsibility and failed to meet its obligations, but the offending was not a wilful disregard of its obligations.

It said it had since taken action to improve its inspection and clearage practices, including an investment in helicopters with remote sensing technology to replace manual detection.

Powercor would be sentenced at a later date.