Allowing farmers to harvest the long grass on country roadsides is mutually beneficial in that it reduces fire risk, saves road authorities the cost of slashing and provides farmers with additional fodder.
With extensive areas of the Princes Freeway / Monash Freeway roadsides and centre medians covered in lush grass after good rainfall, Nationals Gippsland East MP, Tim Bull, proposed in parliament last week that these road reserves be harvester for fodder.
“Large areas have already been slashed once and are likely to need to be slashed again pre-Christmas, said Mr Bull.
“Drought affected farmers in my electorate have estimated that these road reserves could produce thousands of bales of desperately needed fodder instead of the grass just going to waste.
“It would also potentially save the taxpayer the cost of further slashing.
“Considering that East Gippsland and parts of Wellington Shire are still in drought, I have requested the Roads and Agriculture Ministers to have these road reserves assessed for hay making to boost depleted fodder reserves.
“Our farmers have been denied the benefit of the freight fodder subsidies that the New South Wales Government provides so this practical, low cost alternative to helping farmers obtain fodder needs to be examined,” he said.
