The NSW Government is investing in fire trails across the state to ensure our regional communities have the emergency infrastructure in place to protect loved ones and homes from bushfires this season.
The north-west community of Hanging Rock will be better protected from bushfires after the NSW Government undertook a $1.15 million fire trail project around the village.
The former Government left no ongoing funding in the budget for the maintenance and upgrades of these critical Crown Lands fire trails. Crown Lands in the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure has funded the upgrades which have been undertaken with support of the Soil Conservation Service and Rural Fire Service.
The Hanging Rock village, east of Nundle, sits at the top of a ridge with a sloping westerly aspect and is surrounded by timbered areas including Crown land, national park and forestry land.
The western side of the village has a series of fire trails located on a Crown reserve. The project has upgraded three major fire trails to latest Rural Fire Service standards: Hanging Rock Village Fire Trail, Ryans Fire Trail and Inverary Fire Trail.
Work has included grading and shaping of fire trails, creation of vehicle turning and passing bays to allow firefighting vehicles to better manoeuvre, and installation of drainage to direct stormwater away from trails and protect them against erosion.
The main Hanging Rock Village Fire Trail and Ryans Fire Trail were formerly dirt trails but have been capped with compacted gravel aggregate so that they are accessible to firefighting vehicles year-round in all weather conditions.
Access gates and directional signage have also been installed on the fire trails.
The upgraded trails will allow firefighters to efficiently access the area to fight bushfires if they break out to protect homes and property. They will also support hazard reduction burns to reduce bushfire risk.
An Asset Protection Zone (APZ) has also been created behind property boundaries on the western side of Hanging Rock. APZs are fuel-reduced buffers between bushland and properties to provide a clear space to fight fires and reduce property risk from flames, radiant heat and ember attacks.
Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said:
“The community can be confident that with the completion of these fire trails and Asset Protection Zone upgrades firefighters will be better able to do their job battling bushfires if they break out, and teams will also be able to conduct hazard reduction burns to reduce bushfire risk.”
“Crown Lands delivers close to 1,000 projects each year to maintain and upgrade fire trails and Asset Protection Zones to guard against bushfires. It manages over 1,300 fire trails covering about 2,200km.
“Annual helicopter inspections are also used to check more than 540 fire trails including in remote areas difficult to access by ground vehicles. Aboriginal traditional burning techniques are also being used to help support appropriate land management practices using traditional knowledge.”
