Vital vegetation work to boost bushfire readiness on the Oxley Highway
Hazardous trees and canopy hanging over the Oxley Highway will be removed or trimmed to boost bushfire resilience in the state’s north-west.
A specialist arborist and environmental officer have inspected hundreds of roadside trees on a 27.5-kilometre section of highway west of Gunnedah and identified dozens that pose a potential hazard for motorists.
Transport for NSW Acting Regional Director West Holly Davies said work to remove or safely trim the trees would start on Monday 28 October, funded by the NSW Government’s $19.5 million Bushfire Corridor Resilience Project to better prepare the state’s regional roads network ahead of the coming bushfire season.
“The Bushfire Corridor Resilience Project has identified and prioritised areas on the state road network where we need to build greater resilience to bushfire,” Ms Davies said.
“Specialists have already carried out inspections on the Oxley Highway between the Yaminbah Road intersection at Rocky Glen and Trethewys Road intersection near Mullaley to identify hazardous trees and sections of tree canopy.
“In the event of a bushfire, falling trees and limbs could potentially mean the road has to close. By removing or trimming identified trees, we can reduce the possibility of bushfire impacting the road and causing network interruptions during the upcoming bushfire season, while maintaining roadside trees and vegetation also improves safety and sight distances for all motorists.
“When we undertake this type of work we also understand and respect the natural beauty that trees bring to journeys throughout NSW, as well as the important role they play in providing habitat for local wildlife.
“As part of our commitment to environmental sustainability we will retain hollow logs for habitat, protect heritage items in the corridor, and properly dispose of all waste once the project is completed.”
Crews will be working Monday to Friday, 7am-6pm, from Monday 28 October and work is expected to be completed in five weeks, weather permitting.
For the safety of workers and motorists, single lane closures and a 60 km/h speed limit will be in place during work hours. Motorists should drive to conditions and allow up to five minutes of extra travel time.
More information on the Regional and Outer Metropolitan – Network Resilience Program and Bushfire Corridor Resilience project is available here.