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The small amount of roadside remnant remaining from historical clearing for agriculture and settlement is a treasure trove of threatened plant communities and species, and often part of vital biolinks (see for example the Campaspe – Maribyrnong Headwaters Biolink project) N&DLG is involved in. 

These remnants are being progressively lost by all the activities of disturbance eg road and drainage works and dumping of spoils, trenching for cables and pipes, repeated slashing and mowing, removal of understorey and ground litter habitat, introduction of weeds or monoculture species like Cypress etc – all outlined in documents listed below.

To appropriately manage the issues of road safety, fire control and biodiversity, it is vital that roads with remnant, diverse native vegetation are recognised, assessed, mapped and management plans formulated to protect them.

Ask yourself whether you value such roadsides, or even think about them, and whether it is worth preserving one of the distinguishing features of the beautiful area we live in.

Click on any pic to enlarge

NDLG’s Roadside Management Group (aka “the Weedies”) since 2006 has actively mapped levels of weed infestation for the Council database, run workshops and talks, organised cut and paint sessions on roadside weeds, and lobbied Council on issues to do with roadside vegetation management. They meet bi-monthly, contact is convenor Sue Massie. Their activities are highlighted in issues of our quarterly newsletter.

On June 29 2016 Federal MHR Lisa Chesters and State MLA Mary-Anne Thomas visited Newham to view some of our very special road reserves and heard our concerns about their preservation. Following a guided drive they met Landcare members from districts in the Macedon Ranges at the Newham Hall for discussion, questions and viewing a display of maps and posters. (A report in Macedon Ranges Guardian, 6 Feb 2016 is no longer online)

Macedon Ranges Shire Council started preparing a Roadsides Management Plan during 2016, the draft was due in 2020, and released for comment in 2021. NDLG has had ongoing input.

NDLG’s submissions to the RMP include:

• Submission to MRSC draft Roadsides Conservation Management Plan, June 2021
• a report commissioned and paid for by NDLG titled Flora Assessment of High Value Roadside Reserves in Newham, Victoria, by Karl Just, ecological consultant, January 2016 (4.39mb)
• a tour organised by us in November 2016 with the Council’s Operations Department to discuss damage caused by roadworks and how practices may be improved
• a further report commissioned from Karl Just titled Damaging Activities Threatening Significant Roadside Vegetation January 2016 (1.41mb).
  

On June 15 2017 Alice Aid and Helen Scott presented to a Landcare Professionals Forum of Victorian district co-ordinators on the topic “Getting Local Government to lift its game in managing roadsides”. “After noting damaged roadside vegetation in its Macedon to Cobaw biolink, Newham and District Landcare set out to get Council to lift its game. An update on their approach, the results they are getting, and recent learning.”

As a result Alice and Helen were asked to present again, to Riddells Creek AGM on 13 August 2017, on “Can we save our rural roadsides? Lessons from the Newham Landcare Experience”.

This topic was also presented as a Roadside poster on display (sized A3) at North Central Regional Landcare Forum, 6-8 October 2017.

Newham Roadside Biodiversity Monitoring Project 2020

Sugar Glider

In 2020 NDLG partnered with Macedon Ranges Shire Council on a federally-funded project to monitor roadside diversity. This was done by spotlighting for mammals on various roadsides and using existing bird surveys, followed by community engagement workshops and spotlight walks to further educate people about the value of roadsides as habitat. See articles in Summer 2020 Newsletter no.59, p10-11, and Autumn/Winter 2020, no.60, p6-7.

Ecologist Karl Just presented the findings of his report – Newham Roadsides nocturnal fauna surveys – on 24 March 2012 at an event at Newham Hall where his report was launched, and continues to lead spotlight evening walks. Article in NDLG newsletter Autumn/Winter 2021  no.63, p11

Documents

“The weedies, Newham Landcare’s roadside rangers”, article in Victorian Landcare Magazine, no 79, Spring 2020, p10-11. You can see or download the whole magazine here

Autumn/winter 2020 newsletter update on the Newham Roadside Biodiversity Monitoring Project p6-7

Summer 2020 newsletter the Weedies activities p6-7; Newham Roadside Biodiversity Monitoring Project p10-11

Winter 2019 newsletter “House of Weedies”, page 3

Summer 2019 newsletter article on RMG on page 9

Spring 2017 newsletter, article on roadside attacks on Chilean Needlegrass, p8-9

Winter 2017 newsletter – article “Bushrangers on rural roadsides” p4-6

Spring/Summer 2016 newsletter – article on preserving Shelton’s roadside, taking Shire Operations Dept on tour p4-5,  Gazania weed p8-9

Autumn 2016 Newsletter (March 2016) – articles on the roadsides tour with Members of Parliament p12-13, roadsides display p9

“Our Rural Roadsides” two page handout to meeting on 29 January 2016

Roadsides: protection of roadside remnant is a State-wide issue, by Penny Roberts 27/1/2016

Spring/Summer 2015 Newsletter article “Rural Roadsides – a summary for 2015” p9-13

Autumn/Winter 2015 Newsletter article “Rural roadsides – conserving shared treasure” p4-6

Summer 2015 Newsletter articles on habitat values (tree and log hollows), environmental history, endangered roadside gems p3-7

Spring 2014 Newsletter article Weedies activities p3

Winter 2013 Newsletter article “Weedies at work” p4

Summer 2013 Newsletter article “The Weedies – NDLG’s Roadside Management Group” p3-5

Submission to Macedon Ranges Shire Council 2015 for a Roadsides Management Plan, by Alice Aird and Helen Scott. Copy of submission
and attachment – Aird handout to Councillors 1 April 2015, “Rural roadsides in the Macedon Ranges: death by a thousand cuts”. Copy of handout PDF 3.9MB

Posters

Roadside Conservation Poster 2005

AGM insert on Rural roadsides

Flier invitation to Roadsides “Conserving shared treasure”, 24 July 2015

Roadside poster 2017