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Successful fuel reduction burn in Glengarry

By Latrobe City Council - 26th May 2005 - Back to News

In a first for the municipality, Latrobe City, in co-operation with the Country Fire Authority (CFA), Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and VicRoads, has carried out a successful combined fuel reduction and ecological burn on a high conservation roadside near Glengarry.

Latrobe City's Municipal Emergency Coordinator Lance King, said that the DSE had approached Latrobe City early in 2004 to highlight the need to regenerate roadside reserves by burning.

"This particular site, the Moe to Glengarry Road is classified as South Gippsland Plains Grassland and is endangered in the Gippsland Plains Bioregion. The nature of this type of grassland requires it be burned periodically in order to successfully regenerate. Slashing roadside grasses may keep fire risk to a minimum, but does not allow the grassland to renew itself as nature intended. A controlled burn has the dual benefit of addressing both conservation and fire risk management," Mr King explained.

Mr King added that this area was the first site to be burnt in Latrobe City's current roadside burning program.

"The CFA's Region 10 Operations Officer Allan Rankin conducted the burn in Glengarry with brigades from Glengarry West, Traralgon, Traralgon South and Yallourn North assisting to complete the work required to an approved burn plan," Mr King said.

"We at Latrobe City would like to thank those volunteer firefighters who freely gave their time and expertise to complete this exercise in a safe and professional manner," Mr King added.

The burning of high conservation roadsides is identified in Latrobe City's Roadside Management Plan as a preferred method of both fire protection and conservation protection.

"Where practical and with the right weather conditions we will attempt to complete these burning operations over a period of time, in conjunction with CFA, DSE, local residents and other relevant bodies," Mr King concluded.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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