The Nationals leader Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, is asking how many times his party must raise the danger being created by the lack of roadside slashing across regional Victoria.
Mr Walsh said the longer this job takes the greater the fuel load will increase on our regional roads.
He said that creates another, more dangerous, layer of risk because a single cigarette butt going out a car window is all that would be needed to start a potentially serious fire.
“The Nationals most recently flagged this concern to the Andrews Government just before Christmas, calling for outgrown vegetation on our roadsides to be slashed immediately.
“Now, here we are in February and it’s very disappointing to see too many of our roads have simply been disregarded in Regional Roads Victoria’s own mowing program, despite it having a scheduled mowing calendar,” Mr Walsh said.
“The Andrews Government needs to have a more proactive approach when it comes to preventing fire seasons over this hot summer period,” he added.
“In my own electorate I have already seen some extensive fires accidentally started in dry paddocks and dry roadsides and we all know it can, and will, happen again.
“Instead of spending money on advertisements for the Premier’s union mates in Fire Rescue Victoria and more locally in warning regional communities about bushfires, the Andrews Government needs to instead spend that money on regularly ensuring our roadsides are slashed.
“This is not a big ask, nor a big task.
“The Victorian Government needs to act now to save our regional properties as the weather gets even hotter,” Mr Walsh said.
