After the bushfires around Mount Cole this February, as an emergency response to make our roads safe, Forest Fire Management marked all the roadside trees they deemed dangerous and cut most of them.

We were told recently by the Pyrenees Shire that they hired a company to clean up the roadsides from the piles of trees left there. We believe more trees than necessary are cut down without any consultation or oversight from the local community.

We understand the necessity of cutting trees to ensure road safety and reduce the fuel load. However, we don’t want to see our roadsides bare and treeless like they left it on Glut Rd. Our concern is to see way too many trees tagged to be cut or pruned along Mount Cole Rd, Back Raglan Rd, etc… without transparency to the community. Until now, it’s still not clear which trees will be cut down or only pruned.

We request from the Pyrenees Shire to:

• Pause the operations for now
• Provide DEECA recommendations, a copy of permit, scope of works and contracts for the tree identification and removal
• Publish the assessment reports and allow for a 2-week feedback period from local stake holders
• Implement the use of different tag colours for felling, pruning and future observation of the trees
• Provide a third-party oversight for the tree selection and removal process

The aim of the fire clean-up and revegetation project should be to:

• Cut down all trees that are burnt internally, in the root support system, or ringbarked by the fire
• Prune all branches over the roads
• Keep the trees that are healthy and structurally sound
• Cut down trees that are a risk to local land holders, their property or their safe passage if they request it
• Avoid compaction and habitat destruction using heavy equipment over roadside preservation areas to prevent the loss of flora and fauna, the extinction of the Grevillea montis-cole, and the spread of infectious diseases
• Consult with Glenelg Hopkins CMA and our local Landcare group to revegetate and implement erosion and ash run-off control measures
• Provide temporary boxes and leave hollows for possums, owls, sugar gliders, bats insects and reptiles
• Leave firewood and mulch at collection points for public use or delivered to local residents if requested

Glut Rd, Raglan, Victoria

We need to act before it's too late.