The Ecologically Responsible Roadside Fire Management program has brought together World Wildlife Foundation's Threatened Species Network and the CFA to preserve and increase native grasslands.

CFA's fuel management facilitator for the south-west area Anthony Watt said native grasses don't burn as quickly as other vegetation and can improve safety during bushfires, particularly around roadsides.

"I've been a firefighter and a farmer for a long time," he said. "I've learned first hand about the benefits of proper maintenance of roadside native grasslands in terms of fire reduction.

"When roadsides are well managed - something that includes regular, community-based, controlled burning - native grasses can reduce fire risks because they don't burn as fiercely as other vegetation."

Mr Watt said with only 0.1 per cent of the native grasslands that were in Australia at the time of European settlement still in existence, the natural habitats of small Australian animals can be preserved through this program.

Mr Watt said CFA brigades and landholders had burned native grasslands on roadsides for more than 50 years.

"What we're really wanting to do now is get that message out there to everyone in the community so that they understand what we're doing; why sometimes we burn the native grasslands; why we don't want farmers just ploughing it all up; why we need to develop large tracts of native grasslands along roadsides instead of having trees right up to the bitumen," he said.

Mr Watt said it was the first time the CFA had worked with such a diverse range of people to improve fire safety and he believed the program would be embraced by the community and landholders.

"Sitting around the meeting table, putting this roadside fire management plan together, I was amazed at just who we had brought together.

"We had farmers, we had firemen and women, we had people representing environmental bodies and we all had this one thing in common - the desire to improve our roadsides," he said.

"I believe that what we have started here in our region will flow on to other fire fighting areas not just in Victoria, but around Australia.

"It reduces bushfire hazards, it adds enormously to our biodiversity and its brings together communities in a really compelling and meaningful way."