Midway through last year, the CFA West Region Community Safety Team was approached by the Friends of Cornish Hill in Daylesford, to look at the growth of gorse and other woody weeds in the reserve.
CFA Vegetation Management Officer Kay Richardson attended with Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) and local CFA Captain Glenn Webster. Since that first meeting, collaborative efforts between FFMVic, the CFA Community Safety Team, and the Friends of Cornish Hill (FOCH) resulted in notable improvements in vegetation management and track maintenance.
It has also offered significant opportunities to include the surrounding community in fire risk awareness discussions and shared responsibility.
The FOCH ran a 'Backing onto bush' session in late November 2024 which was attended by 36 community members plus agency staff including Hepburn Shire, FFMVic, CFA and Landcare.
The day aimed to engage the community and highlight the fire risks they faced and what they could do to manage those risks as individuals and as a community. By the end of the session, the group was galvanised to assist the agencies to manage the fuel load on Cornish Hill as one way of preparing for fire.
FFMVic has completed grooming and grading the tracks on Cornish Hill. This work has not only improved accessibility but has also enhanced safety for maintenance teams and the local community.
Cath Matthews, Regional Vegetation Management Coordinator, expressed her gratitude to Midlands FFMVic for their work.
“A big thanks to Midlands FFMVic for undertaking the mulching of the gorse-infested tracks through Cornish Hill. This will now greatly facilitate access for brigades, enabling quicker suppression if a fire starts in the reserve,” Cath said.
Efforts to address invasive gorse, blackberry, and broom are ongoing, with the following key activities underway:
- CFA is preparing to treat a block of woody weeds near the north-east corner of the hill.
- The FOCH has engaged the 'Gorsinator' to remove old, hard-to-access gorse from the north-west corner.
The progress achieved has been well-received by the community and stakeholders. At the FOCH Annual General Meeting, members expressed their encouragement with the rapid pace of work. Cath Matthews also highlighted the broader impact of these efforts.
"This work has strengthened relationships between the many stakeholders involved, and hopefully we can build on this to ensure continued reduction of fire risk within this reserve and with the community.”
The FOCH is now preparing funding applications to sustain the work that has been achieved.
| Submitted by |
Jude Atkinson |