Council’s Fire Prevention Slashing Program is aimed at improving safety for road users and protecting property and public infrastructure. The program includes Council-managed reserves and roads.
The Fire Prevention Slashing program is carried out in the lead up to summer by contractors. The program usually commences in Spring, depending on weather conditions, and is completed by Christmas, typically starting in the drier north of the municipality and proceeding to the southern parts of the Shire.
The program aims to balance the need for cutting with grass curing so that the area is only cut once, rather than multiple times – this process significantly reduces the cost to Council and the community. We try to hold off as late as possible in the season before slashing, without compromising community safety.
Residents might see long grass that concerns them over Spring – please be reminded that we have set out to slash all Council-managed roadsides and reserves before Christmas and before the dryer parts of summer commence.
Within township areas, roadsides and reserves are generally cut fence to fence in all places a tractor and slasher can reasonably and safely access.
Outside township areas, roadsides are cut as per the strategic fire breaks shown in the Municipal Fire Management Plan(PDF, 3MB). Some roads with ‘higher strategic fire control value’ are cut fence to fence, however the bulk of roadsides on sealed roads are cut two metres from the road edge. Gravel roadsides are generally not cut unless they have a particular role in fire prevention around townships.