Roadside Fuel Reduction Initive (RFRI) - Updated
Read on further for infomation regarding Roadside Fuel Reduction program in the Adelaide Hills.
As part of the Adelaide Hills Council Roadside Fuel Program, each year contractors are engaged to reduce fuel loads by slashing. In order to address this annual expense, a partnership led by Birdwood landholder, Bob Myers, was developed in May 2012 and includes: Adelaide Hills Council (AHC), Native Grasses Resources Group (NGRG), Upper Torrens Land Management Project (UTLMP), Country Fire Service (CFS), Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure (DIPTI), Adelaide & Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board (AMLRNRM) and the Department of Environment, Water & Natural Resources (DEWNR).
Exotic grasses (phalaris & cocksfoot) have a very high fuel load of between 17-27 tonnes/Ha compared with native grasses which have a considerably lower fuel load of 1.5-8 tonnes/Ha. Reducing fuel loads on roadsides will help to minimize the risks and danger of fires within the Adelaide & Mt Lofty Ranges. In addition the ongoing annual maintenance costs can be significantly reduced.
Eight sites were selected for the trial and each site has had slashing and spraying of the exotic grasses and burning to remove all the dead vegetation. Subsequent spraying has occurred to reduce weed plant regrowth during summer. Over Autumn the hazards will be removed by stump removal and levelling. Monitoring will continue throughout winter and the sites prepared for planting of low fuel-load native grasses in Spring 2013.
All of the sites will be be planted with summer-active, summer-green native grasses.
