Regional road fire danger period preparation

Regional Roads Victoria (RRV) is ramping up preparations to help protect the community ahead of the fire danger period.

RRV North Eastern Regional Director Steve Bowmaker said a full program of works including roadside inspections and mowing is underway to ensure the arterial road network is safe in the event of an emergency.

 “We’ve been out inspecting the region’s 4000-kilometre network to ensure detour routes are in good condition and clear of obstacles,” Mr Bowmaker said.

“Our major roadside mowing program kicks off this week on the Hume at Euroa and Goulburn Valley Freeway heading north from Seymour, before working our way through north east Victoria over the next few months.

“We want to ensure that if there is an emergency situation, people are able to leave an affected area quickly and safely.”

RRV’s roadside maintenance activities aim to be efficiently and effectively control the spread of noxious weeds and limit the risk of roadside vegetation.

“Timing our grass cutting season is crucial, which is why we’re getting started now to make sure we’re on top of spring growth and ahead of the peak fire danger period,” Mr Bowmaker said.

“We work in close consultation with CFA vegetation officers, Victoria Police and the Department of Environment, Land, Planning and Water to determine timing and co-ordinate mitigation works.

“Our crews also work alongside arborists to assess roadside trees to determine the risk they present to detour routes in the event of a fire.”

Other mitigation works include roadside weed spraying, inspecting static detour signage and routine maintenance, while assessments are undertaken of road surfaces, roadside reserves and surrounding infrastructure.

Emergency management preparation is a year-round process for RRV’s North Eastern Region to ensure staff are prepared for any emergency situation that may arise.

“We support emergency services by co-ordinating traffic management and detours throughout the course of any emergency and recovery, actively seeking ways to minimise community disruptions,” Mr Bowmaker said.

 “We then share this information through regional media networks, VicTraffic and our social media platforms.”

RRV also plays a role in the follow-up to any emergency situations, assessing and repairing affected road infrastructure to ensure the network is safe for all road users.

Keep up-to-date with road detours and closures during an emergency via traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au or download the VicTraffic app.

To find out more about works underway or planned in your area, visit regionalroads.vic.gov.au