Roadside cattle grazing can increase fire risk, warns ecologist John Morgan

Roadside grazing seems to be an obvious win-win situation — hungry stock access feed, and the fire risk beside the road is reduced.

But an ecologist is warning that droving cattle in some parts of Victoria would increase fire fuel loads.

Moyne Shire Council in south-west Victoria has written to the federal environment minister Sussan Ley seeking an exemption that would allow grazing on roadsides where there is native vegetation in order to reduce fire risk.

A council report…