Boosting bushfire resilience and driver safety on Goolma Road in the state’s west

Almost 100 dead and decaying trees in the Goolma Road corridor will be removed or trimmed to boost bushfire resilience in the state’s west.
A specialist arborist and environmental officer have inspected hundreds of roadside trees between Wellington and Gulgong and identified 98 that pose a potential hazard.
Transport for NSW Regional Director West Alistair Lunn said work to remove or safely trim the trees would start on Monday 8 April, funded by the NSW Government’s $19 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 $300,000 in project funding to carry out tree inspections on Goolma Road between Wellington and Gulgong and also the necessary removals and trimming.
“The 98 trees identified during inspections have been found to be either dead or in poor condition from natural ageing and decay.
“By removing or trimming the dead and damaged trees we can reduce the possibility of roadside bushfire and network interruptions due to falling trees, boost road safety during the bushfire season, and improve sight distances for motorists.”
Mr Lunn said limiting the impact on the local environment 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,” Mr Lunn said.
“As part of our commitment to environmental sustainability throughout this project we will retain hollow logs for habitat, protect known heritage items in the corridor, and properly dispose of all waste once the project is completed.
“This is about having as little impact on the environment as possible, while delivering the greatest possible boost to bushfire resilience and road safety.”
Crews will be working Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm and on Saturdays from 8am to 1pm for the duration of work. Work is expected to be completed in two weeks, weather permitting.
Similar work under the Bushfire Corridor Resilience project is planned for the Great Western Highway between Lithgow and Bathurst, while work to remove vegetation on the Newell Highway between Gilgandra and Narrabri is already under way.
More information on the Regional and Outer Metropolitan – Network Resilience Program and Bushfire Corridor Resilience project is available here.