Roadside Slashing Program

Council undertakes an annual Roadside Slashing Program to help reduce bushfire risk and improve safety on local roads. Carried out in the lead up to, and during the fire season, the program focuses on reducing grass fuel loads along Council-managed roadsides to help limit the spread of fire and provide safer access for residents, emergency services and road users.

The timing of roadside slashing varies from year to year and is influenced by seasonal conditions and vegetation growth. Slashing too early can result in significant regrowth before the fire danger period, while delaying works may reduce the effectiveness of fuel reduction activities. Council monitors conditions throughout the year to determine the most appropriate timing for works.

Each year, Council slashes hundreds of kilometres of local roadsides as part of its commitment to reducing fire risk and maintaining safer road networks across the municipality. These strategically important roads are identified in the Municipal Emergency Management Plan (MEMP) as key evacuation and emergency access routes during times of crisis.

What Residents Need to Know

While Council manages roadside vegetation on Council controlled roads, property owners remain responsible for managing vegetation and fire hazards on their own land. As an additional precaution, property owners may choose to slash long grass and manage vegetation between the road and their property to help reduce fuel loads.

Preparing your property before the fire season is an important part of reducing bushfire risk across the community. Find more information on the Preparing your property page.  

For roads managed by the state, Transport Victoria is responsible for undertaking scheduled roadside slashing and fuel reduction along arterial roads and freeways prior to the bushfire season.