Council claims road side cutting on track

Baw Baw Shire has defended its roadside grass cutting program, saying its contractor is on track with maintenance works.

The Gazette has been contacted by a number of residents in the shire in recent weeks, raising concerns about long grass along roadsides in both residential and rural areas.

Residential areas in Landsborough and Sutton Sts have been identified as risk areas, while a number of rural residents have reported grass as high as roadside posts.

But council said its road maintenance contractor MACA Infrastructure was on track with maintenance works for the rural roadside grass cutting program.

According to council’s road management plan, mowing or spraying of roadside areas to maintain safe sight distances of 250 metres must be undertaken within six weeks of council receiving a complaint.

Council’s website states roadsides are required to be mowed 1.5 metres behind the line of guideposts. Where there are no guideposts mowing is done to a width of three metres from the edge of pavement, if practicable.

The program assists in reducing fire risk along roadsides and improves road safety by ensuring adequate sight distance at intersections is maintained.

The program is completed twice annually across the rural road network. The first cut occurs between September and December, followed by a second cut between January and April, and includes all Council maintained roads within the shire.

This year cuttinbg November.

Mayor Joe Gauci said the rural roadside grass cutting program was continually underway across the shire with all works on track ahead of the warmer weather.

“Council’s road maintenance contractor has been working to an approved program, and the scheduled grass cutting and spraying is currently on target. Two grass cutting crews are in the process of completing these works, with the first round of mowing due for completion just prior to Christmas. didn’t begin until

“Weather conditions, such as higherC than expected rainfall, can contribute to significant growth of roadside vegetation and may hamper the planned works resulting in minor delays.

“The program is a vital component of council’s road maintenance schedule and reduces potential fuel for fires, and also provides safer road conditions for both residents and visitors travelling through our municipality.

“Council wants to ensure residents the shire is prepared for the upcoming fire season and works are ongoing to reduce as much excess roadside vegetation as possible,” Cr Gauci said.