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Melina Bath urges Allan government to urgently address hazardous roadside vegetation threatening eastern Victoria communities

Nationals’ Melina Bath warns eastern Victoria communities face bushfire risks from overgrown roadside vegetation, urging Allan Government to implement slashing, controlled burning, and weed management to improve public safety.

By news@gippsland - 12th January 2026 - Back to News

With bushfires already impacting the state, urgent action is required to address dangerous roadside vegetation in eastern Victoria. The Nationals’ Member for Eastern Victoria and Shadow Minister for Public Land Management, Melina Bath, said the Allan Labor Government’s failure to address the road network’s fuel hazard is placing communities in danger.

Melina Bath warns Allan government’s inaction on roadside fuel hazards endangers communities, as dry, overgrown vegetation creates a high bushfire risk

Roadside fire hazard

Ms Bath said, "Locals are justifiably concerned that a single spark from a cigarette, a vehicle, or even broken glass could ignite the dry roadside vegetation. After high rainfall in spring and early summer, growth has exploded, while the recent extreme heat has created a tinderbox."

Ms Bath said city centric Labor prioritises cost-cutting over vital safety measures. "Across eastern Victoria, roadsides are choked with long grass, fallen timber and invasive weeds - the Traralgon Maffra Road is a prime example, with overgrowth exceeding a metre in many areas. Besides being unsightly and a road safety issue, out of control roadside vegetation is a serious hazard that acts as a work during fire events and compromises evacuation routes," Ms Bath said.

Reduce fire risk

Ms Bath stressed that experts have long confirmed that reducing roadside fuel loads through slashing, controlled burning and weed management significantly improves community safety. "Private landholders are legally required to keep their properties fire safe and it’s time the Allan Government applied this standard to public land and roadsides under its management."

"Residents are deeply worried by Labor’s failure to prepare, as bushfires continue to threaten communities across Victoria. The Nationals call on the Allan Government to provide targeted resources to manage roadside vegetation and mitigate fire risk in Victoria," Ms Bath said.

Pictures from Melina Bath MP Facebook page.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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