Helicopter crews are undertaking fire trail inspections across NSW. Photo: NSW Government.
The chop-chop sound you will hear in the sky over South East NSW will likely be helicopters conducting inspections of fire trails to prioritise maintenance work ahead of the bushfire season.
Crown Lands and the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) are currently conducting these inspections in the South Coast, Snowy Mountains and Queanbeyan regions.
The Crown Lands’ acting project officer for bushfire, Paula Gilchrist, said fire trails were critical infrastructure.
“It’s really important that we can make sure that they are safe and accessible for our firefighting authorities who might need to access them in a time of emergency,” she said.
“When we’re in the air, we’re looking for hazards. We’re looking for erosion issues, trees across trails, vegetation encroachments, and we’re also checking the condition of crossings so that we can make sure that our fire trails are safe and accessible.”
Crown Lands’ senior bushfire officer Dan Cross said the teams would be “very wise” about prioritising their works and identifying which issues were more important than others.
“But essentially, we want to address those red flags before the fire season,” he said.
“At the same time, we’re identifying the general condition of all the trails and we may schedule them for maintenance the following year.”
A NSW Government spokesperson said all the work ensured fire trails were ready to go for summer, and that they could be efficiently accessed and used by firefighting crews.
A helicopter team prepares to take off to inspect fire trails in NSW. Photo: NSW Government.
The spokesperson said helicopter inspections were more efficient than ground patrols by vehicles, particularly in remote and less accessible areas and where fire trails crossed multiple property boundaries or had other access issues.
“Aerial patrols reduce inspection times in these areas from months to weeks and give an overall ‘point in time’ assessment of the fire trail network,” they said.
“Helicopter crews monitor the trails from the air to identify whether trees have fallen and require removal, if erosion or vegetation growth has impacted trails, or where creek crossings may need repair.
“The helicopter is also fitted with a camera to help record where follow-up work is needed.”
Once the inspections are completed, Crown Lands, the NSW Soil Conservation Service and the RFS will undertake any required maintenance works.
This could include vegetation removal, erosion repairs, drainage and fire trail stability work, and construction and maintenance of vehicle passing and turning bays.
It could also involve installing signage, gates and bollards to protect fire trails from unauthorised access and rubbish dumping.
“These inspections and the maintenance work that will follow are about making sure we are as prepared as we can be when the bushfires inevitably come this summer,” Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said.
“Making sure the fire trails are clear of fallen trees and other obstacles gives our firefighters the best chance of getting to a blaze quickly and protecting lives and property.”
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