AusNet has appointed Zinfra as its new delivery partner under a major service model overhaul.
The partnership, which began on 1 August 2025, falls under the two-year Distribution Operations and Maintenance Services Agreement (DOMSA), with options for two one-year extensions.
It covers AusNet’s 89,000-square-kilometre distribution footprint across eastern and north-eastern Victoria and Melbourne’s northern and eastern suburbs.
The network spans urban, semi-rural and regional areas, including alpine, farming and bushfire-prone regions.
Under the arrangement, 508 former AusNet employees have transitioned to Zinfra – 415 in trade and field roles, and 93 in depot-based positions.
Zinfra will now handle all operations and maintenance services on the distribution network, with AusNet retaining direct oversight of asset management and fault response.
AusNet said the restructure is designed to improve operational performance, particularly in extreme weather conditions, by creating a “collaborative, accountable, ‘one team’ culture” between the two organisations.
James Quigley, General Manager of One Distribution and Growth at Zinfra, said the new agreement builds on existing ties.
“Zinfra is already delivering for the AusNet network through our Transmission Operations & Maintenance Agreement (TOMSA), which was recently extended for another three years following a successful five-year term,” he said.
The DOMSA model marks a departure from AusNet’s previous outsourcing structure by bringing strategic and operational decision-making back in-house while relying on Zinfra for field execution.
This aligns with a wider industry shift toward resilience-focused network management as climate-driven weather risks increase.
“Our focus on delivering for the communities we live and work in mirrors AusNet’s own commitment to meeting customers’ changing needs,” Mr Quigley said.
“We are working closely with AusNet to ensure a smooth transition and continued excellence in service.”
AusNet operates Victoria’s largest privately-owned electricity distribution network, serving more than 760,000 customers.
The Zinfra agreement consolidates operational delivery across both the distribution and transmission portfolios under a single external partner.