Hundreds of exotic pines and other tree species beside the Great Western Highway west of Lithgow will be removed or trimmed to build greater bushfire resilience on one of regional NSW’s busiest routes. Transport for NSW Regional Director West Alistair Lunn said the vegetation removal work would be funded by the NSW Government’s $19.5 million Bushfire Corridor Resilience Project under the Regional and Outer Metropolitan – Network Resilience Program.
“The Bushfire Corridor Resilience Project has identified and prioritised areas on the state road network where we need to build greater resilience to bushfire, including through appropriate tree management along key regional routes,” Mr Lunn said. “We have been allocated $500,000 in project funding to carry out tree inspections on the Great Western Highway between Walang and Marrangaroo, and the necessary removals and trimming."
The trees identified during inspections have been found to be either dead or in poor condition from natural ageing and decay, and likely to obstruct the highway in the instance of a bushfire. By removing or trimming the dead and damaged trees, Transport for NSW can reduce the possibility of bushfire network interruptions due to falling trees, which will also contribute to road safety by improving sight distances for motorists.
An assessment of the area has been undertaken by specialist arborists and environmental experts who concluded that appropriate tree management along this key regional route was needed to better prepare for the next bushfire season. As part of this assessment, hundreds of roadside trees between Walang and Marrangaroo have been identified as potential bushfire hazards, meaning they risk falling on the road in the event of a bushfire and potentially closing one of the most critical parts of the state’s road network.
Mr Lunn said limiting the potential for road closures and network interruptions for motorists on the Great Western Highway as well as local and regional communities was a key focus for the project.
“We understand and respect the natural beauty that trees bring to journeys through regional NSW, as well as the important role they play in providing habitat for local wildlife. An extensive environmental assessment has been completed prior to undertaking this work,” Mr Lunn said.
As part of our commitment to the environment, we will retain hollow logs for habitat, protect any heritage items along the corridor and properly dispose of all waste throughout the project. This is about having as little impact on the environment as possible, while delivering the greatest possible boost to bushfire resilience and road safety.
Vegetation removal work on the Great Western Highway will start on Tuesday 11 June and take about two weeks to complete, weather permitting. Crews will be working Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm and Saturdays from 8am to 1pm for the duration of work. Similar work under the Bushfire Corridor Resilience project has now been completed on Goolma Road between Wellington and Gulgong while work is under way on the Newell Highway between Gilgandra and Narrabri and on the Oxley Highway between Coonabarabran and Mullaley.
More information on the Regional and Outer Metropolitan – Network Resilience Program and Bushfire Corridor Resilience project is available here.