Possum Guards for Power Lines: Stop Possums Causing Outages

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If possums are getting onto your roof or you're getting unexplained power faults, your overhead line might be the culprit. In leafy Inner West pockets like Haberfield, Leichhardt and Annandale, dense street trees grow right up against overhead service lines, and possums use those powerlines and service cables as highways between trees, poles and rooftops — and along the way they can cause faults, outages and even electrocute themselves. A possum guard is a simple, humane fix: a swivelling sleeve that fits over the line so possums can't keep their footing and cross. Here's how they work and when you need one in the Inner West.

👉 See our Level 2 electrical services →

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Why possums and powerlines don't mix

Possums are agile climbers, and an overhead line is the perfect bridge from a tree or pole straight to your roof. That causes two problems. First, access: once they reach the roof they can get into the roof cavity, causing noise and damage. Second, and more seriously, electrical faults: as a possum moves along or between conductors it can bridge them, causing short circuits, blown fuses, tripped supply and unplanned outages — and often a dead possum in the process. If you've had repeated, hard-to-explain trips or outages in a leafy street in Rozelle, Lilyfield or elsewhere across the Inner West, wildlife on the line is a common cause.

The Inner West's tree-lined streets and heritage-era plantings are exactly the conditions possums thrive in — mature canopies that overhang power poles and service lines, giving them an easy route from branch to roofline. It's part of what makes these suburbs so leafy and appealing, but it also means overhead lines here see more possum activity than newer, more open subdivisions.

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How a possum guard works

A possum guard is a length of swivelling tube that clips around the overhead conductor. Because the sleeve rotates freely, a possum stepping onto it can't get a grip — the tube simply spins and rolls them off, so they turn back rather than crossing. It's a passive, humane deterrent: nothing shocks or traps the animal, it just can't walk the line anymore. Fitted to the right span, it cuts off the highway to your roof and reduces the chance of possum-caused faults.

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The 38mm possum guard kit at a glance

A typical Australian-made kit — like the CABAC Possum Guard Kit (part PPG) — is built for standard overhead service lines:

• Sleeve size: 38 mm internal diameter, 800 mm long.
• Material: low-density polyethylene — light, weatherproof and UV-stable.
• Fits: bare overhead conductors from around 10 mm² up to 240 mm².
• Fixing: the swivelling jacket is secured in place with cable ties.

One kit covers a single section of line; longer or multiple spans simply use more units. Your electrician will confirm the right size and quantity for your setup on site.

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Why installation is a Level 2 job

This is the important part: a possum guard goes on a live overhead line, often on your private service line or power pole — the section between the network's point of supply and your home. Working there is genuinely dangerous and, on the consumer's side, is Level 2 ASP work: only an accredited Level 2 electrician is licensed to work on those overhead service conductors. Fitting a guard safely can involve isolating the supply and using insulated line covers, so it's never a DIY or handyman task.

If your line runs from a private power pole, it's worth having the pole and line condition checked at the same time — see our private pole maintenance tips.

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Possum guards, tiger tails and tree clearance

Possum guards are one of a few measures for keeping overhead lines safe around wildlife and vegetation:

• Possum guards stop animals walking the line.
• Tiger tails are high-visibility insulating covers that protect people and equipment working near live lines.
• Tree clearance removes the branches possums (and storms) use to reach the line — a common cause of pole and line damage.

Together they keep your supply reliable and your roof possum-free. If a possum has already caused an outage, our power outage guide explains when to call an emergency electrician.

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How High Demand Electrical helps

As a Level 2 ASP electrical contractor (Licence No. 397193C), we install possum guards on private overhead lines safely and to standard across the Inner West, check your service line and private pole while we're there, and sort any faults a possum has already caused. If the issue sits on the network side of your supply, we'll tell you and point you the right way.

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