By KATH GANNAWAY
A DON Valley resident is calling for VicRoads to be accountable for destruction to tree ferns on two of the Yarra Valley’s significant tourist roads.
Chris Lloyd says he was stunned when he saw a VicRoads roadside mowing crew cutting the crowns out of tree ferns along a section of Don Road, between Pantons Gap and the historic timber bridge, on 5 May.
Work was also carried out with the same enthusiasm along Donna Buang Road, which runs between Pantons Gap and Warburton.
VicRoads says the work was needed for safety reasons, but has conceded that the “level of pruning undertaken has been excessive”.
Mr Lloyd says it is nothing short of ‘butchering’.
He says he is also disgusted at the lack of accountability with Yarra Ranges Council advising that although the work breached the Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, VicRoads were exempt from prosecution under the Planning and Environment Act.
Mr Lloyd said he counted over 60 tree ferns that had been significantly ‘savaged’ and, he believed, were unlikely to survive.
He said the road was included in an area of high conservation value which came under environmental and landscape overlays.
“Tourists regularly stop to take photos, but now they will be taking photos of how little some of us value our most beautiful natural assets,” he said.
Yarra Ranges Council’s O’Shannassy Ward respresentative, Cr Jim Child, said he was also shocked by what he saw.
“I was horrified to see what was up there and the damage done, especially in one section,” he said.
“VicRoads has done fuel reduction works up there (before) and always managed to do it responsibly, so whether it’s a breakdown in communication with the contractor, I don’t know, but what has resulted is blatant destruction.”
“We have to draw VicRoads’ attention to the environmental sensitivity of that area.
“We don’t want to see this happen again,” he said.
VicRoads regional director, Aidan McGann, told the Mail on Monday that a number of tree ferns were trimmed in response to concerns raised by road users saying the vegetation was encroaching onto the traffic lanes.
Acknowledging that the work was excessive, Mr McGann said they had raised the issue with their maintenance contractor.
“While VicRoads is focused on preserving the environmental value that the roadside vegetation provides, we must also ensure the road remains in a safe condition for all road users,” he said.
Mr Lloyd says the response is nonsense.
“If they are concerned about vegetation encroaching on the road, why cut tree ferns that are 30 feet up off the road, or in a driveway where they have hacked away at rainforest shrubs?
“Most of those ferns would not affect anybody’s road use.
“We drive that road all the time and have never had any trouble with vegetation.”
Mr Lloyd said he would raise the matter of accountability with the State Government.
“If the council is saying the work is illegal and there’s nothing they can do, VicRoads must be accountable to someone.”
