CONCERNS have been raised about the effect wire rope barriers are having on roadside grass and vegetation ahead of the fire season.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Lengthy stretches of the Hume Freeway are now covered by the barriers, and more are being installed as part of a safety program.
But Member for Euroa Steph Ryan said slashers were unable to access some areas, with further fears the barriers could prevent vehicles from escaping the path of fires.
“For example, one of the major fires that occurred on Black Saturday, it started in Kilmore East and swept across the Hume,” she said.
“In the event of a fire, there are now real concerns that people will not be able to escape it, but would rather get trapped on the road.
“There are a number of CFA volunteers in particular who are very concerned about that.”
Ms Ryan believes the barriers “have their place in certain areas”, particularly near roadsides with lots of trees or steep drops, but said she was concerned they had been "blindly rolled out along hundreds of kilometres of freeway".
“Whilst the government keeps telling us the effectiveness of wire rope barriers is proven, my big concern is that they haven't considered the broader safety implications, particularly in the event of fire,” she said.
Barriers between Wallan and Wodonga have been hit about 165 times this year.
Regional Roads Victoria director Nicki Kyriakou said a slashing program was expected to commence in the North East next week, starting in Wangaratta, and be completed by early December.
“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 restriction period,” she said.
“Safety is always our first priority and our crews are working tirelessly slashing grass and trimming trees as the weather heats up.”
“The program is two-fold in that it not only supports preventative measures ahead of the bushfire season, it’s an important aspect of roadside safety by limiting the chance of fires should an accident occur.”
Ms Kyriakou said a range of techniques were used to control grass growth including spraying treatments, tractor mowers and mowers that can reach underneath the barriers.
- Receive our daily newsletter straight to your inbox each morning from The Border Mail. Sign up here