Liberals force review of Midland highway fire management

The Tasmanian Liberals have today forced the government to rethink patently inadequate plans to reduce the fire risk caused by rampant under growth along the Midland Highway.

The farmer who earlier this year lost a huge amount of fencing as a result of a fire fed by excessive growth in the road reservation at Epping Forest was recently advised by the Department of Infrastructure that it did not plan to slash the verges until February.

By this time, they would have been in the same dangerous condition as last year’s fire season – or even worse.

In Parliament today, I raised concerns about such an inadequate program and questioned whether the government had learned anything from the fire at Epping. I also raised the matter in the adjournment debate last night.

The Infrastructure Minister has now has asked his department to review its slashing program.

I will be watching progress very closely on this road, and others under the department’s control.

The government has a responsibility to reduce the fire risk on its land and this is a responsibility it has shirked in the past, with devastating results.
Rene Hidding MP Shadow Minister for Primary Industries and Water