Councils are calling for a cut to red tape around roadside management, blaming overgrown vegetation for helping to fuel the devastating St Patrick’s Day fires.
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Moyne Shire councillors are calling for a meeting with the state government to ask for the removal of permits needed for clearing roadsides, for both the council and landholders, while councillors in Corangamite Shire are also pushing for change.
Moyne councillor Daniel Meade put forward that council’s motion, blaming unkempt roadsides for spreading the fires.
"They hit the roadside reserves and they fired up again and were able to go onto the next property," he said.
"They can be untidy and unkempt. They can also be a habitat for pests and weeds to flourish."
Cr Ian Smith said a cut in red tape would help reduce the fuel on roadsides.
"It's about anything we can do to help reduce the risk of fires," he said.
Cr Jill Parker said the fires had highlighted the issue. "We do need to be careful though," she said.
"The roadsides are the wildlife only corridors left."
However, Corangamite Shire Cr Bev McArthur said roadsides “should be a safe place, they shouldn’t be a wildlife corridor”.
Cr McArthur said in places scrub had been allowed to grow to the edges of roads, as well as fence-high phalaris grass, native trees and noxious weeds, allowing fires to spread through otherwise bare farmland.
“The excessive roadside vegetation facilitated a tunnel of fire travelling along roads in our area and that is just not acceptable,” she said.
“We have to mount a massive campaign to make sure that this whole approach changes. (Roadsides) have to be a safe corridor that is required for our citizens.
“Landholders should have the ability to look after their roadsides and we don’t impede them with fees or excessive regulations so that we can get our landholders to help us, our CFA can help by burning the roadsides.”
Cr Simon Illingworth said he had long pushed for roadside slashing, low-cost roadside grazing for farmers and better tree pruning to reduce the fire threat.
The St Patrick’s Day fires burnt through about 15,000 hectares, destroying 26 houses, 63 sheds and about 4000-head of livestock.