Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) has launched an ambitious plan to achieve zero damage, zero harm and zero disruption in the utility industry.
The organisation is the leading voice for utility damage prevention in Australia. Through industry advocacy and education, it is dedicated to safeguarding the community by minimising damage, harm, and disruption to the national network of essential utility services.
At a meeting of its industry members, BYDA has launched its new Strategic Plan which will expand its remit to provide leadership and a representative voice to advocate on industry’s behalf, while building upon its existing education services and safety campaigns.
The new Strategic Plan details BYDA’s objectives for 2024 through to 2029 and aims to provide the industry leadership needed to develop proactive solutions to achieve zero damage to member/utility infrastructure resulting from construction and ground-breaking activities, prevent community disruption, and protect persons and property from harm.
BYDA chief executive Mell said the safety advocate was ideally positioned to collaborate with utility industry members, construction sector stakeholders, rental companies, and the public to ensure no damage, harm, or disruption results from ground-breaking activities.
“The new strategy seeks to build upon our 35-year legacy and our significant achievements in the provision of education services and safety campaigns by expanding our ability to effectively represent the interests of industry,” he said.
“The issue of strikes to underground infrastructure is a huge problem, costing industry, government and property owners an estimated $2 billion per annum.”
In partnership with utilities, local councils, government agencies and private enterprises, BYDA provides a free online service to request detailed utility plans and vital safety information for any location across Australia.
The free service is an essential first step for anyone planning any type of digging or excavation work near utilities.