Council is responsible for 1,700km of roadsides in the Macedon Ranges.
In urban areas, roadsides are grassed or landscaped to enhance the aesthetics of our towns. In rural areas, we focus our resources on community safety and environmental biodiversity.
VicRoads or Council: who manages what?
Council, VicRoads and residents all have a role to play in maintaining and protecting our roadsides.
VicRoads is responsible for roadsides along freeways and major roads between townships. Council manages all other local roadsides in the shire.
To find out if a road is managed by VicRoads or Council, you can view the below:
Roadside slashing
With limited resources, we need to strike the right balance between making our roads safe for drivers, preventing fires from starting on our roadsides, and protecting our natural environment. We also need to comply with native vegetation regulations.
Council slashes high use roadsides to reduce the likelihood of fires starting from hot vehicle exhausts, mechanical failures and collisions.
Typically 80 per cent of traffic uses 20 per cent of our roads so it makes sense to limit the costs to ratepayers by slashing these roads as a priority.
If you want to carry out any activity on rural roadsides and reserves or town native nature strips that:
- impacts on Council land, fencing and infrastructure, and/or
- involves the removal of firewood or vegetation, including removal of dead trees or fallen limbs from trees and weed control
then you will need to apply for an Environmental Activity on Roadsides Permit.
If you wish to undertake works on grassed or landscaped nature strips, see Nature Strips
Work must not commence until a permit is issued.
If you become aware of any issues or hazards on roadsides, you can report an issue online, call Council on (03) 5422 0333, or contact VicRoads.