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Close approach consent

Close Approach Consent

Look up, down and around before carrying out any tasks such as picking fruit, painting, operating an excavator, scaffolding, using a tipper truck, moving an irrigator etc.

If your work is going to be within four metres of any Unison power lines or five metres of an underground cable or ground mounted asset - at any time - you must apply for a Close Approach Consent to be issued by Unison.

A Close Approach Consent is required for work places and on your private property 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A Close Approach Consent ensures we are aware of the work you will be carrying out, so that we can arrange the necessary safety precautions to allow you to carry out your work safely.

Failing to get a permit when working within four metres of our network could result in serious injury, or fatal electrocution.

Please note that if you require your power to be disconnected outside of the following hours, charges may apply: 8.30am - 4.00pm, Monday to Friday.

Choosing not to apply for a Close Approach Consent, or not following the guidelines once it has been issued, could not only endanger the life of you and your loved ones, it could also leave you liable for any costs associated with damage to assets.

Please fill out the form below and someone from our team will be in touch.

Applicant Details
Select the name of the company carrying out the work.
Please provide the name of the company responsible for the work. If the work is not being done by a contracting company, select 'Not Applicable' option in the Company Name.
Are you the person who will be supervising on site and responsible for compliance with the consent? * If a Close Approach Permit is issued, this will be the person who the permit is issued to and is therefore responsible for ensuring compliance with the consent.
This is the person who will be on site managing the work being done and ensuring that work is done in line of any Close Approach Consent requirements.
Unison may call this person to meet them on site if required.
Location of the Close Approach
Start typing an address that indicates where the close approach work is being carried out. This will show on the map below and you can move the pin as required to show an accurate location.
Please provide more information about the location. For example, if access to the site is at a different location, there are livestock to consider or a guard dog is present.
Work Being Carried Out and Timings
For planned work, Unison requires 3 working days advance notice to complete a Close Approach assessment.  This allows us to ensure that someone is available to check out the site, do the assessment and issue a permit in advance of work beginning.  
Please ensure that the proposed time to meet on site is between Unison office hours of 8.30am to 4pm.

For the safety of you, and those around you, it's important to know what's under the ground before you start any digging, staking, fencing or excavation work.

To assist you in accurately locating any electricity or fibre-optic cables within Unison’s network area, Unison provides cable location services. This service ensures any digging, staking, fencing or excavating you intend to carry out can be done without any risk of hitting underground Unison-owned electricity or fibre-optic cables.

You can request a Cable Location on our website HERE.

Please provide some more detail of the work being done.
Declaration

Following your request for Close Approach Consent, a Unison Field Inspector or Faultperson will review your request and arrange to visit the site with the responsible person present. 

If a Close Approach Consent is required, they will issue a written permit which outlines the start time (based on the date/time you have stated that work is to start) and expiry date/time.  Work will not start before the permit start date/time or go beyond the expiry date/time. 

I agree to comply with the Unison Close Approach Permit, should one be required and issued.

I agree to pay any charges from Unison if a Unison employee is required to stand over the work while it is being done and/or if a Unison employee is required to assess the Close Approach request on site outside of 8.30am-4.pm Monday to Friday.

The maximum period for which a permit is valid will be one month.  Should close approach works be required after the expiry date, a new Close Approach Consent application much be completed.

I acknowledge that I understand and agree with the terms and conditions for Close Approach Consents.

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