Rural Roadside Management Plan Corangamite Shire February 2012 Table of Contents Executive Summary i PART A – INTRODUCING THE RURAL ROADSIDE MANAGEMENT PLAN 1 1 Introduction 2 1.1 Structure of the Plan 2 1.2 Plan purpose and review 3 PART B – RURAL ROADSIDE MANAGEMENT IN THE CORANGAMITE SHIRE 4 2 Rural roadside management in the Corangamite Shire 5 2.1 Vision 5 2.2 Scope 5 2.3 Achieving balanced actions 5 2.4 Goals of rural roadside management 7 PART C – GOALS OF RURAL ROADSIDE MANAGEMENT 9 3 Goal 1: Maintain a safe local road network 10 3.1 Introducing the safe roads goal 10 3.2 Legislative context to vegetation removal 10 3.3 Drainage and pavement maintenance (routine) 11 3.4 Vegetation control to restore sightlines 11 3.5 Strategies in maintaining a safe local road network 12 4 Goal 2: Protect natural and heritage assets 13 4.1 Introducing the assets protection goal 13 4.2 Biodiversity protection and enhancement 14 4.3 Invasive plants and animals 15 4.4 Aboriginal and non Aboriginal heritage 17 4.5 Strategies in protecting natural and heritage assets 18 5 Goal 3: Manage third party access 19 5.1 Introducing the third party access goal 19 5.2 Fire prevention 20 5.3 Utility and service provision 20 5.4 Adjoining landholders 21 5.5 Recreational users 21 5.6 Strategies in managing third party access risks 21 6 Goal 4: Provide leadership and promote the value and function of rural roadsides 23 6.1 Introducing the leadership goal 23 6.2 Community awareness 23 6.3 Stakeholder cooperation 23 6.4 Strategies in promoting the value and function of rural roadsides 24 PART D – IMPLEMENTATION THROUGH STRATEGIC ACTIONS 25 7 Goal 5: Monitor the effectiveness of the Rural Roadside Management Plan 26 7.1 Introducing the monitoring and effectiveness goal 26 7.2 Implementation Plan 26 7.3 Monitoring and reporting 26 7.4 Strategic action plan 27 References 32 Appendix 1: Stakeholder reference group members 33 Appendix 2: Local rural roads in the Shire of Corangamite 35 Appendix 3: Relevant legislation 36 Appendix 4: Management guidelines 38 Appendix 5: Decision flow chart – selecting shoulder treatments 42 Appendix 6: Conservation value mapping on rural roadsides 43 Appendix 7: Decision flow chart – setting priorities for weed control 44 Appendix 8: Glossary and acronyms 45 ABN: 35 154 629 943 Torquay Office: Davidson Business Centre Level 1, 6 Walker Street, Torquay, Victoria 3228 T (03) 5261 6105 F (03) 5261 5515 Executive Summary A. Introduction The Corangamite Rural Roadside Management Plan is the key strategic document that sets the direction of rural roadside management within the municipality over the next four years. There are four parts to this plan, comprising: • Part A: Introduction • Part B: Rural roadside management in the Corangamite Shire • Part C: Goals for rural roadside management • Part D: Implementation through strategic actions B. Rural roadside management in the Corangamite Shire The Corangamite Shire Council has a vision for rural roadside management: Council is committed to work with the community and relevant stakeholders to create a network of road reserves that provide a safe environment for vehicle movement while recognising and protecting the conservation, landscape, cultural and recreation values of rural roadsides. Corangamite Shire has a total of 2,630 km of sealed and unsealed roads. This includes 2,205 km of local roads that are managed by Council and 425 km of arterial roads that are managed by VicRoads. The Rural Roadside Management Plan will cover local rural roads only. Proper management of rural roadsides demands multiple objectives to be fulfilled. There are conflicts between often competing objectives of road and roadside management and stakeholders will tend to have different views on how best to manage these conflicts. The plan provides a framework for all stakeholders to understand their responsibilities and collaborate where necessary to ensure balanced outcomes. C. Goals for rural roadside management The Corangamite Shire Council has set five goals for rural roadside management. They are: Goal 1: Maintain a safe local road network. A safe local road network is one in which roadsides are well maintained and safe for road users. At the same time, conservation and other values are retained and wherever possible, enhanced. Council needs to work to ensure vegetation is managed to maintain sightlines and improve routine drainage and pavement maintenance. Goal 2: Protect natural and heritage assets. Protecting natural and heritage assets means that roadsides are managed to protect their wider values and there is improved stakeholder and community awareness of natural and heritage assets. Thus, Council will work with the community and roadside users to improve biodiversity conservation and enhancement, manage invasive plants and animals, and protect Aboriginal and non Aboriginal heritage assets. Goal 3: Manage third party access. Managing third party access means ensuring there is access for all roadside users and responsibilities are known and accepted, and risks are mitigated. Third party access includes necessary fire prevention works and appropriate access for utility and service providers, adjoining landholders, and recreational users. Council will work with all of these stakeholders to ensure appropriate access whilst maintaining a safe road network and protecting natural and heritage assets. i Goal 4: Provide leadership and promote the value and function of rural roadsides. Council aims to be a leader in good roadside management. It recognises that promoting the wider value and function of roadsides means less damaging activities and better outcomes for the environment. Thus, Council will work to improve community awareness of the value and function of rural roadsides and develop co-operative practices with all stakeholders. D. Implementation through strategic actions Goal 5: Monitor the effectiveness of the Rural Roadside Management Plan. Council want a rural roadside management plan that is accountable and effective. Thus, achievement and progress will be measured against the goals and actions of the plan. The actions developed under each goal are listed in this section (at the end of the document) and include a responsible person and indicative timetable. Council will prepare an annual implementation plan, which will articulate how this management plan will be implemented in that year. Progress against the goals will be evaluated through this annual planning process and at the end of the four-year life of this plan. ii PART A Introducing the Rural Roadside Management Plan Roadside Fuel Reduction Burn 1 1 Introduction The Corangamite Rural Roadside Management Plan is the key strategic document that sets the direction of rural roadside management within the municipality over the next four years. The plan identifies Council’s statutory obligations and aligns internal works programs with the strategic objectives of Council’s overarching Council Plan 2009–2013. The Rural Roadside Management Plan also sets priorities in roadside management and outlines strategic actions that will occur over its duration (2012 – 2016). Indicators of performance in roadside management have been identified that will enable Council to achieve their strategic objectives in relation to maintaining road infrastructure to its current standard, whilst making improvements in safety and showing leadership in good environmental and sustainability practices. Council proposes to work with all community, agency and organisational stakeholders with an interest in rural roadside management. 1.1 Structure of the Plan There are four parts to this plan, comprising: Part A: Introduction Part B: Rural roadside management in the Corangamite Shire Part C: Goals for rural roadside management Part D: Implementation through strategic actions Part A provides background information and outlines the purpose and structure of the plan. Part B provides a statement on the vision and scope of the plan and summarises the general principles for achieving balanced action on rural roadsides. Part C provides detailed information on the goals of rural roadside management and Part D outlines how the plan will be implemented and lists the strategic actions that will achieve the Corangamite Shire Council’s objectives for rural roadside management. PART A PART B INTRODUCTION RURAL ROADSIDE MANAGEMENT IN THE CORANGAMITE SHIRE • Structure of the plan • Plan purpose and review • Vision • Scope • Achieving balanced actions • Goals of rural roadside management PART C PART D GOALS OF RURAL ROADSIDE IMPLEMENTATION THROUGH MANAGEMENT STRATEGIC ACTIONS • Maintain a safe local road network • Monitor the effectiveness of the plan • Protect natural and heritage assets • Strategic action plan • Manage third party access • Provide leadership and promote the value and function of rural roadsides Figure 1.1 Structure of the Rural Roadside Management Plan 2 1.2 Plan purpose and review Purpose of the plan The Rural Roadside Management Plan needs to integrate legislation, policies and programs relevant to roadside management in an easily understandable and workable format for Council staff and community members to use and understand. The plan is a strategic rather than prescriptive document. This will help to retain its relevance over the full four-years of plan implementation. Council will develop an implementation plan to accompany the Rural Roadside Management Plan, which will specify annual actions to implement the Plan’s strategic actions. There have been several recent