Roadkill Reduction

Blind corners on narrow rural roads can be a nightmare. We have all had that scary moment when you are confronted by another car on a tight bend. Skidding to a halt, dust and stones spewing everywhere and the heart thumping in your chest. And sometimes its not a lucky escape.

Reducing Roadkill

No one has managed to teach our wildlife how to cross the road. Cars are a moving object the wombats and kangaroos think they can outrun. When they dash from the undergrowth into the vehicle’s path, there is often not a lot the driver can do. Even with insurance, the damage to the car is expensive and inconvenient. Better to avoid the collision.

Keeping the verges mown, or cleared, gives drivers those extra milliseconds to react and avoid that sickening crunch.

Keep the fire away from the road.

In a bushfire situation, the roads are critical. People who need to evacuate can easily become trapped of worse by fire on the edge of the road. 

For firefighters there is the very real danger of fire disabling a truck, trapping the crew in the stationary vehicle. We have heard the story from Black Summer of the fire crew trapped in their truck when the fire lashed the side of the vehicle and blew out the air hoses, locking the brakes. It was a perilous situation. Thankfully, they managed to walk out through the fireground to safety.

Maintaining the verge

Unfortunately, there is no set-and-forget solution. In some areas, a ride-on or slasher can make short work of the task. But in the most dangerous situations, particularly blind corners, it requires a little more effort.

Start by clearing the trees and bushes back at least a couple of metres.

If an excavator is an option, creating mowable pathways can make maintenance a lot easier. A ride-on can be a safer option in less favourable terrain.  

If mowing is not an option, consider undertaking regular cool burns along the roadside. If done regularly, over time you will eliminate the shrubbery and will be left with a nice healthy ground cover. Although less environmentally friendly, if you burn up to a containment line, the hotter fire will kill off the vegetation and the verge should remain clear for a few years.