Roadsides represent one of our greatest natural assets and, in many places, contain the finest examples of vegetation that previously existed across the landscape.
Our roadsides provide very important habitat and can often be a precious refuge within an otherwise cleared, 'alien' landscape. In some places, roadsides contain high quality native vegetation remnants, or are home to threatened plants and animals.
Roadsides, by their very nature, provide a permanent network of corridors across the landscape. They connect various habitats from hills to creeks, high rainfall to low rainfall, forests to woodlands. This connectivity across the landscape is even more critical in these times of climate change - the connectivity allows for movement of species, which assists in enabling adaptation to changing conditions.
There are many threats to roadsides, such as illegal removal or destruction of native vegetation and the invasion of pest plants and animals. Understanding what currently exists along our roadsides is crucial in assisting land managers such as Local Government, VicRoads and adjoining property owners to manage and protect this important natural asset.
The North Central Catchment Management Authority (CMA) is working with Local Governments within the CMA region to assess and map roadside vegetation. Ultimately, each council will have its own Roadside Management Plan.
There are many ways that members of the public can get involved in maintaining and enhancing our roadside environments. These include cleaning up discarded refuse along roadsides; allowing natural regeneration or planting buffer strips of native vegetation adjacent to roadsides; or working with local Landcare and other environment groups involved in weed management, native seed collection and propagation, and improving the quality of degraded roadsides.
For information regarding roadside management issues or conducting activities or works on local government roadsides please contact the relevant shire council.
For more information on the Roadside Vegetation Plans project, please contact:
Ben Goonan - Landscape Monitoring Officer
p: (03) 5448 7124
e: ben.goonan@nccma.vic.gov.au
or
Peter McRostie - Strategic GIS Administration
p: (03) 5448 7124
e: peter.mcrostie@nccma.vic.gov.au