A New View from Galore Hill, A Smarter Fire Safety Network Across Southern NSW

High on Galore Hill, overlooking the grasslands of Lockhart Shire in the Riverina region of southern New South Wales, a new kind of fire lookout has come online. This is no ordinary camera on a pole - it's a WatchTower camera installation, designed to give emergency services a clearer, faster view of what’s happening on the ground.

Funded by Transgrid and its EnergyConnect construction partner Elecnor Australia, the Galore Hill WatchTower is built for constant monitoring. It uses smart detection systems and artificial intelligence to pick up early signs of fire and sends live vision straight to those who need it. In a place like the Riverina, where open country can turn dry and volatile, that kind of visibility makes a real difference.

This site joins Mt Flakney, another location in the Riverina Zone brought online with support from the NSW Department of Primary Industries. Both sites are part of a growing WatchTowers rollout aimed at improving detection and response in fire-prone areas across Southern NSW.

As each site comes online, we’re building a regional safety net that supports faster response and stronger local coverage.

Expanding coverage where it counts

What makes Galore Hill especially valuable is its height and location. From here, the system has a clear line of sight across Lockhart’s grasslands, offering constant situational awareness in areas where fires can move fast and local resources are stretched. It’s a practical upgrade for a region that knows fire risk all too well. Watch the Galore Hill installation come together in the short video below:

More than just a new camera feed, this is the result of coordination between agencies, infrastructure partners and emergency services, working together to deliver something with long-term value. These kinds of projects don’t happen in isolation - they need local buy-in, regional planning and a shared commitment to safety.

Across the wider region - from Tumut to the fringes of Yass - more communities are exploring how to integrate detection technology into their fire strategies. Some, like Galore Hill, are starting from scratch - building new installations from the ground up. Others are finding new life in existing infrastructure. Each rollout is different, but they’re all working toward the same goal: faster detection and better local decision-making.

Designed to fit the landscape

For people living in Lockhart Shire, this means better visibility when it matters. The Galore Hill system gives local fire brigades a live, high-angle view of the landscape they know by heart. We’re giving them state-of-the-art tools to monitor conditions and act with confidence.

This is how WatchTowers works best: tailored to the terrain, built in partnership with those on the front line and designed to meet the specific needs of each location - whether it’s a brand new install or an upgrade to what’s already there. 

As more WatchTowers sites go live, the region’s resilience grows stronger. With deeper coverage, the communities that live and work here get a little more peace of mind, knowing there’s a clear view ahead when fire threatens.

A local story with a national message

We’re speaking to the Wagga Wagga community - those who’ll feel the direct benefit of this project - and to other communities eyeing this as a playbook for their own fire protection efforts. And for Wagga Wagga locals who’ve watched fire seasons grow more unpredictable in recent years, this system offers more than tech - it’s peace of mind with a view they know by heart. 

Galore Hill is just one example of what’s possible when communities, agencies and infrastructure partners come together with a shared vision. If you're exploring ways to strengthen fire detection in your region - whether you're starting from scratch or building on what you already have - we’d love to talk. Let’s work together to create something that makes a real difference.

‍Main photo: Rural Fire Service Riverina Zone Manager Roger Orr, WatchTowers Networks Founder Matthew Connolly and Transgrid First Nations and Social Legacy General Manager Michael Johnson at the official launch of the Galore Hill WatchTower. Photo courtesy of The Daily Advertiser.