Guide 5 of 6
Before you dig
Before digging, lodge a free enquiry with Before You Dig Australia, which passes it to the companies whose pipes and cables run under your site so they can send plans. Do this well before the job: Before You Dig Australia says at least one business day, and the gas networks quoted below ask for two.
Before You Dig Australia describes itself as “a single point of contact” for information about underground networks, “without contacting utility organisations individually”.
Why it matters at home
Before You Dig Australia says homeowners have dug up underground infrastructure without meaning to, causing significant service disruptions, financial penalties and injury. Its tips for homeowners include looking for clues such as gas, water or electricity meters; being aware that pipes and cables may run just outside the property, under the footpath, driveway or nature strip, or alongside fence lines; and never assuming their depth, “as they can be buried just below the surface”.
Its FAQ answers the money question plainly. Lodging an enquiry is free, though asset owners may charge for information in some cases, usually only for large development enquiries, or for planning or design enquiries where no digging is taking place. It also says court proceedings may be brought against people or companies to recover the cost of repairing or restoring damaged assets, where negligence appears to have played a part.
How far ahead
The sources do not give the same lead time, so here they are together.
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| Before You Dig Australia, best practice | Always lodge a free request for BYDA utility plans at least one business day before the project starts. |
| Before You Dig Australia, plans | Plans usually arrive within minutes, but allow up to two business days. |
| Jemena (gas network, NSW) | Contact Before You Dig Australia “at least two working days before you start” |
| AGIG (Australian Gas Networks and Multinet Gas) | Lodging a Before You Dig enquiry no later than two business days ahead of any excavation is your duty. |
Lodging an enquiry
Before You Dig Australia’s steps, in brief: create a free account; search for your site by street address, lot number or coordinates; draw the site on the map; give the project details, dates and type of work; then submit. You can then see the responding asset owners, their contact details and expected wait times, and open each one’s plans under “View responses”.
Its FAQ says enquiries can also be lodged through its iPhone and Android apps, and its contact page lists phone support on 1100.
Two cautions from the same guide: the plans “DO NOT come from Before You Dig Australia” but from each asset owner, and they show only that underground infrastructure is there, not exactly where it lies. Its instruction is not to go ahead until you have the relevant information from every asset owner your project affects.
Plans also have limits on a home block. Before You Dig Australia says they “may not contain specific details within your property boundary”, and suggests considering a skilled locator for assets on private property.
The five Ps of safe excavation
Before You Dig Australia’s own sequence, in its order and in summary:
Plan
Lodge your enquiry at least one business day before the project begins, and make sure you have the information you need.
Prepare
Review the plans and contact the asset owners if you need help. Look for clues on site such as pit lids, marker posts and meters. Engage a skilled locator to help find assets electronically before potholing.
Pothole
If permitted, expose the pipe or cable using the asset owner’s stated method, such as hand digging or hydro vacuum extraction.
Protect
Protect exposed infrastructure, for example by telling everyone on site, putting up barriers and/or marking its location.
Proceed
Go ahead with the excavation only once you have planned, prepared, potholed (unless potholing is prohibited) and put protective measures in place.
It adds that pipes and cables are not always laid straight: “never assume the depth or alignment of pipes and cables”. And not every asset owner in Australia is a member, so the plans you receive may not be the only assets on your site.
If a gas pipe is hit
Before You Dig Australia is not an emergency service. In its words: “In a life-threatening situation, please call 000.” If you damage an underground asset, it says you “MUST advise the asset owner immediately”.
The asset owners’ contact details are on the enquiry confirmation you receive after lodging. Gas networks also say it on their own pages. Evoenergy, for the ACT: if you strike or damage gas equipment, call 000 in a life-threatening situation, and stay clear and call Evoenergy so it can make the area safe. ATCO, for Western Australia: if you have hit a gas line or can smell gas, call its Gas Faults and Emergencies number, 13 13 52 (24 hours). Other networks’ numbers are in the table on the home page.
When the job is done, Before You Dig Australia’s last step is to make sure nothing has been damaged and that any exposed underground assets have been filled back in.