Roadside Management
The management of roadsides within the Surf Coast Shire is split between Council and Transport Victoria.
Transport Victoria manages major roads within the shire such as the Surf Coast Highway, Great Ocean Road, Hendy Main Road, Deans Marsh–Lorne Road and Princes Highway. For these roads, contact Transport Victoria if you have any queries around road condition, weeds, pest animals, remnant roadside vegetation and wildlife.
Council manages all other roads within the shire, adding up to roughly 1500kms of road verges. Well-managed roadsides contribute to road safety, fire prevention, flood management and the protection of the environment. Council manages road reserves with all of these things in mind.
In 2019 and 2020 Council updated the assessment of native vegetation on the road reserves. The original 1997 roadside assessment report is below along with the methodology used to update the assessment of vegetation condition and extent.
What can I do on Surf Coast Shire roadsides?
Below is a list of activities that are allowed on roadsides, what approvals are required and who to contact.
Below is a list of activities that are not allowed on the roadsides. Fines apply to these activities.
- Collection of firewood. For more information about firewood collection on public land.
- Grazing of live stock
- Cropping
- Haymaking
- Farm equipment and farm material storage
- Spraying
- Fencing
What-can-I-do-on-Surf-Coast-Shire-Roadsides.pdf(PDF, 97KB)
Firewood collection
Firewood collection from roadsides is not permitted in the Surf Coast Shire.
In Victoria you can only collect firewood at specific locations on public land.
This is to protect remnant patches of biodiversity on our roadsides – help us protect these areas by only collecting your firewood from authorised areas.
See the Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV) website for maps
Firewood for personal use can be collected from designated collection areas during the autumn and spring collection period.
Maps of collections are published on the FFMV website on 1 March (for autumn period) and 1 September (for spring collection period).
Roadside 'Exclusion Zone' guide posts
‘Exclusion Zone’ guide posts are being installed on key rural roadsides with significant native remnant vegetation. They are a visual tool to flag the existence of ecologically significant or listed flora in the roadside and avoid potential damage to that flora.
Roadsides often contain native vegetation that contributes to Victoria’s biodiversity. Within some areas of the Surf Coast Shire, native vegetation within the road network may be the only native vegetation remaining in the landscape.
Grasslands and grassy woodlands have both been listed as critically endangered and are protected under national and state environment law.
Significant fines apply to individuals or organisations who damage or destroy this roadside vegetation.
These remnant patches of native vegetation can be found on some roadsides within the Shire including Winchelsea, Buckley and Freshwater Creek. Native grasslands can be difficult to identify, the plants are small and cryptic and include species such as orchids that can die down at certain times of year.
