Managing our environment
The Environment and Development Approvals (EDA) unit in the State Roads Division coordinate the identification and management of natural and cultural values throughout the state road network.
We play a key role in facilitating best-practice environment and heritage outcomes for the network, including for new road construction projects. We also focus on the development of contemporary guidelines and standard procedures.
We provide expert advice on natural and cultural values including the approvals process for the following specialist areas:
- vegetation communities
- rare and threatened species (flora & fauna)
- aboriginal heritage
- historic heritage
- weed management
- landuse planning.
We have developed best-practice guidelines and standards, including the following documents.
- Tree Assessment Framework.
- Den Management Protocol.
- Bird Nest Management Protocol.
- Tree Felling Protocol.
- Freshwater Burrowing Crayfish Guidelines.
- Green and Gold Frog Guidelines.
1. Roadkill
We work to reduce roadkill on our roads across Tasmania.
We install wildlife warning signs and line marking on roads with a lot of roadkill, to encourage drivers to slow down from dusk until dawn, and watch out for wildlife on the roads.
We also investigate other ways to prevent roadkill, including:
- Penguin friendly culverts and mesh fences on Bruny Island Main Road to help Little Penguins cross under the road safely.
- Frog friendly drains and habitat ponds on the Midland Highway to give the vulnerable Green and Gold Frog a safe way to cross under the road.
- A trial of virtual fencing along the Huon Highway, to discourage wildlife from crossing the road.
2. Weed management and monitoring on the road network
Our state-wide priority weed program includes the strategic control and annual monitoring of declared weeds along the 3 700 kilometre state road network. The works are done according to our State Roads Weed Management Strategy 2016-26 (PDF 5.3 MB).
It’s important to control weeds on roadsides to prevent them from spreading further within the road verge and into nearby land including conservation areas such as the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area as well as private property.
Our priorities when managing declared weed species is to protect high value conservation areas and species, and focus on areas where it is a Zone A (eradicable) weed under the Biosecurity Act 2019. This means we focus on areas where we can have the biggest impact in controlling weeds.
Once treated, areas are monitored annually, and we conduct follow-up as required.
For weed control to be effective, nearby landowners and managers must also work together to control weeds on their land.
3. Management of key roadside conservation sites
We’re responsible for managing the land within the road reserve adjoining our roads.
Some of our roadside areas contain populations of state and federally listed threatened plant species and vegetation communities, support habitat for wildlife, and include old growth/heritage trees.
We have a Roadside Conservation Sites Program. There are currently 13 sites found across Tasmania including grasslands, mixed species woodlands, grasstrees and eucalypts. The sites are managed for their conservation values with each site having a management plan that directs annual works to reduce threats at the site.
The program includes:
- annual qualitative monitoring to manage threats including weeds control and rubbish removal
- annual reporting on works done and success achieved
- biological monitoring of each site every five years to report on the number of species and number of plants per species present and the general condition of the threatened species at the site.