Roadside slashing and spraying
Roadside slashing
The Roadside Slashing Program is scheduled to run annually in the lead up to the fire season and includes slashing, grooming and weed spraying on selected Council managed roads.
The aim of the program is to reduce the likelihood of fires starting and spreading within the shire, and to assist with a safe path of travel during emergencies.
The Roadside Slashing Program has been designed in partnership with fire agencies to strategically reduce the risk of fire travelling through our shire.
What is not included in the program?
The maintenance of the nature strip immediately in front of a property in a residential area is not included in the program and is the responsibility of the owner or occupier of the property. It is a legal requirement under under Local Law 3, Section 12, Clause 2(PDF, 266KB) to maintain this area.
Find out what roadsides are going to be slashed?
You can find out what roadsides are included in our Roadside Slashing Program by viewing the map in the link below. The bold lines indicate the roadsides that will be slashed for the current year’s program.
Slashing may include both sides of the road or a single side, depending on the terrain and suitability of the vegetation.
View the Mount Alexander Shire Roadside Slashing Program map.
When will my road or reserve get slashed?
Council’s Roadside Slashing Program is typically scheduled from October to January every year depending on weather, in the lead-up to and throughout the high-risk weather season.
Council cannot give exact dates and times of when specific roads will be slashed, because it depends on how the municipality dries out.
Why can’t you just slash my road now?
The annual slashing program is scheduled based on the way the municipality dries out (i.e. the areas that dry out first get cut first, and the wetter areas that dry out later are cut later).
If we start cutting too early the grass will be cut while it is green and not a fire risk, and it is more likely to re-grow and dry out later, when the fire risk is higher.
Why wasn't a particular road or reserve slashed?
Council is responsible for many of the parks, reserves and roadsides across the Mount Alexander Shire, however other authorities also manage fuel reduction works across the municipality, including the Department of Transport (formerly VicRoads), the Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning (DELWP). Please check out our Roadside Slashing Program map.
Why did the slashers miss some areas?
The slashing program aims to significantly reduce the fire risk in roadsides, however Council is still required under legislation to protect significant native vegetation, including some grasses. We achieve this without impacting the effectiveness of the program.
In some cases, smaller areas of exotic grasses and weeds cannot be reached with the equipment required to deliver such a large volume of work.
Can you slash a particular road even though it is not on the program?
We cannot pull machinery off the scheduled route to complete ad-hock requests otherwise completion of the overall program will be delayed.
Sometimes slashing may be considered outside of the program timeline, but is not guaranteed.
Weed management
Councils Works Unit conducts an annual spraying program to keep rural road side drains and guide posts weed free.
I have noxious weeds on my property, what should I do?
In accordance with the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994, the removal and control of noxious weeds on private property is the sole responsibility of the owner.