Adelaide Hills and Kangaroo Island residents warned over ‘extensive’ illegal land clearing after bushfires

Every bushfire season, residents in danger zones are told to clean up their properties. But now a government agency says some owners are taking this too far.

Panicked landowners in the Adelaide Hills and on Kangaroo Island have raised the ire of the Native Vegetation Council over “extensive” illegal land clearing in the wake of devastating bushfires.

The State Government’s independent bush protection agency is spearheading an education campaign to help save mainly roadside vegetation which residents blame for spreading fires quickly.

The council discussed the “extensive illegal clearance currently occurring on KI and through Adelaide Hills bushfire areas” at a recent meeting but a spokesman told The Advertiser that “education” rather than punishment would be used to stop the practice.

Overgrown foliage alongside the South Eastern Freeway. Picture: Dean Martin

“Some reports that were received relate to people being traumatised by the fires and undertaking clearance to further protect their assets,” the spokesman said.

“Most of these relate to roadside vegetation or access tracks to properties and infrastructure. “Other areas include scrub surrounding houses and other assets.”

The clearing was prompted by the worst bushfires in Kangaroo Island’s history and around 200 blazes on the mainland in December/January 2019/20.

Between them, the fires killed three people, burnt nearly 279,000ha, destroyed about 140 homes and devastated native vegetation and wildlife.

Last year, the government pledged an additional $37m for hazard-reduction burns, including working directly with landowners.

Fears were again raised in the Adelaide Hills when two houses were destroyed in the Cherry Gardens bushfire in January this year.

The Native Vegetation Council spokesman said some land clearing by homeowners was allowed, but some only with approvals and expert CFS advice on whether it would be effective.

“Clearance of native vegetation outside of the permissible activities is a concern and the NVC is undertaking community education and communication to inform landowners of the value of native vegetation and their responsibilities and legal requirements,’’ he said.

“Compliance actions undertaken have so far been of an educational nature, with the NVC and CFS advising landholders on what they can undertake without applying to the CFS and what will require CFS approval before proceeding.”

Residents seeking more information on clearing native vegetation should check the CFS website.

Adelaide Hills residents at a town meeting in Mylor following the Cherry Gardens bushfire in January. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Adelaide Hills Council bushfire advisory group member and CFS volunteer Councillor Chris Grant said residents were fearful of native vegetation during a bushfire crisis, but must take advice from experts.

“There is a mood among some people in the hills that the bush is the problem, and there is certainly slashing of roadsides and other native vegetation well beyond what is allowed under the Native Vegetation Act,’’ he said.

“There has been more since the year before last’s fires, but as a CFS volunteer on the fireground after the Cudlee Creek fires, I can see both sides on this issue.

“There is a biodiversity and a safety issue.

“The Sampson Flat fire, the Cudlee Creek fire, the Pinery fire were mainly grass fires across pasture.

“You can’t blame the bush for that unless you fail to understand how it burns more slowly than grassland, and acts as a windbreak that lowers wind speed through the burning pasture.

“Pulling out big trees can actually be counter-productive.”