TasFarmers angry about overgrown rural roadside vegetation

A major fire hazard created by long grass along rural roads has Tasmanian landowners worried.

TasFarmers says it has been inundated with complaints from farmers about overgrown road verges.

The organisation singled out the Meander Valley, Northern Midlands and Latrobe Council areas, along with State Growth-controlled roads, as being of concern.

TasFarmers CEO Nathan Calman said the risk of a catastrophic fire caused by excessive long grass and weeds along roadsides was increasing by the day.

“TasFarmers is having a constant stream of calls into the office from a wide area expressing concerns that if this isn’t addressed immediately, then we are only a hot, windy day away from a widespread, catastrophic fire.”

Mr Calman said immediate action was needed.

“Every year, landholders are urged to manage their fire risk, but we constantly see this double standard from the state and some local governments.

“Landholders can manage their own risk of ignition through good practice, but that isn’t the case on public roads.

“All it will take is a stray cigarette butt or someone up to no good and we will be fighting fires instead of farming.”

Meander Valley Mayor Wayne Johnston said the council had a roadside grass slashing program that began around Christmas time.

“We are a little bit behind for staffing reasons, but we’ve got four tractors on the go across the municipality at the moment,” Cr Johnston said.

“We’re only about a week or two behind.”

Cr Johnston said the council took the responsibility of maintaining the sides of the roads it controlled seriously.

“Around this time of year, the risk of fire from dry grass is definitely a threat – there’s no doubt about it.

“We don’t skirt from our responsibilities, as does every other municipality.”

On roads maintained by State Growth, the department operates a year-round mowing program, which ramps up during spring and summer.

“An extended period of wet weather during last spring made many roadsides inaccessible, as tractors and mowing equipment faced a high risk of becoming bogged,” a State Growth spokesperson said.

“Our contractors are now working hard to cover these areas, including overtime work on weekends.

“We continue to work very closely with the Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) to make sure that areas with high fire risks are well-maintained and prioritised.”

State Growth said it used the TFS Bushfire Roadside Management Information Sheet to guide decisions about where mowing is required.

“All roads on the State Road Network are inspected at least once per week for any hazards or maintenance issues, including vegetation maintenance such as tree trimming or mowing.

“Any issues identified during these inspections are logged immediately for prioritisation by the department’s maintenance contractor.”

Any member of the public who has concerns about grass and vegetation along government-controlled roads is urged to contact State Growth.