This document provides an overview of roadside reserve management. It defines roadside reserves and explains their ecological importance in maintaining connectivity and biodiversity. It discusses the competing uses of roadsides, including environmental, economic and social values, and the challenges of managing them. The document outlines best practices for roadside management, including assessment, planning, implementation, and monitoring. It identifies relevant legislation and management responsibilities. Throughout, it emphasizes the importance of linear reserves and provides resources for their sustainable management.

1. Valuing the VergeValuing the Verge
Neil DuftyNeil Dufty

2. Learning outcomesLearning outcomes
At the end of this workshop you will be able to:
define ‘roadside’
explain the ecological principles that support management of the roadside environment for
biodiversity e.g. connectivity, fragmentation, habitat, climate change
describe competing uses and values of roadsides and challenges in managing roadside
environments for biodiversity outcomes
identify the agencies responsible for managing the roads in the HRCC area of operation
specify the legislative requirements relating to specific aspects of roadside reserve
management
identify appropriate council plans and assessments, for example Roadside Vegetation
Management Plans and REFs that guide roadside works in the HRCC area of operation
describe best practice management and maintenance works for low, medium and high
conservation value reserves.
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3. Linear reservesLinear reserves
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 Roadside reservesRoadside reserves
 Rail corridorsRail corridors
 Travelling stock reservesTravelling stock reserves
 Utility easementsUtility easements
 Others e.g. paper roads, riparian corridorsOthers e.g. paper roads, riparian corridors

4. Extent of linear reservesExtent of linear reserves
 Approximately 206,000 km of public roads in NSW (21,000 km are main roads managed by NSW Roads and
Maritime Services; 186,000 km are minor roads managed by local councils).
 The total area of roadside reserves in NSW is estimated at 2 million hectares.
 The total area of the Travelling Stock Reserves (TSRs) in NSW is estimated at 2.5 million hectares. This
includes reserves in the Western Division. Local Land Services manages approximately 500,000 hectares of
TSRs.
 The area of other linear reserves (e.g. rail corridors, utility easements, ‘paper roads’) is estimated at 800,000
hectares.
 The total area of linear reserves in NSW is therefore approximately 5.3 million hectares or 6.6% of NSW.
 The total area for linear reserves is approximately three-quarters of the total land area of the NSW National
Parks estate (7 million hectares).
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5. ImportanceImportance
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6. What is a road reserve?What is a road reserve?
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7. Activity - using ecological principlesActivity - using ecological principles
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8. History of roadsidesHistory of roadsides
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9. Values - EnvironmentalValues - Environmental
• Native remnantsNative remnants
• Maintenance of ecosystems and threatenedMaintenance of ecosystems and threatened
speciesspecies
• Ecological corridors and environmentalEcological corridors and environmental
connectivity through a landscapeconnectivity through a landscape
• Prevents land degradationPrevents land degradation
• Climate change values including carbonClimate change values including carbon
sinks and adaptation of Ecologicallysinks and adaptation of Ecologically
Endangered Communities (EECs)Endangered Communities (EECs)
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10. Values - EconomicValues - Economic
• First and foremost provide transportFirst and foremost provide transport
routes for road users and stockroutes for road users and stock
• Grazing areas for stock during droughtGrazing areas for stock during drought
• Support public utilities such as gas,Support public utilities such as gas,
electricity and telecommunicationselectricity and telecommunications
• Space for stockpiling and machinesSpace for stockpiling and machines
during construction and maintenanceduring construction and maintenance
• Fire managementFire management
• Weed managementWeed management
• Future possibility of carbon creditsFuture possibility of carbon credits
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11. Values - SocialValues - Social
• Cultural and historical valuesCultural and historical values
• Visually appealing – improves theVisually appealing – improves the
character and sense of place and providescharacter and sense of place and provides
landscape representationlandscape representation
• Contain Indigenous and non-IndigenousContain Indigenous and non-Indigenous
heritage itemsheritage items
• Recreational use for road trips and drivesRecreational use for road trips and drives
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12. Activity – assessing environmental valuesActivity – assessing environmental values
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13. Activity - competing values?Activity - competing values?
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14. Case study - ClearzonesCase study - Clearzones
The width of the roadside beginning at the edge of the travelled way, that is madeThe width of the roadside beginning at the edge of the travelled way, that is made
available for a driver of an errant vehicle to take corrective action in anavailable for a driver of an errant vehicle to take corrective action in an
emergencyemergency
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15. Clearzones and the environmentClearzones and the environment
 Step one: Assess environmental value – by rating variousStep one: Assess environmental value – by rating various
attributes of the tree or vegetation stand.attributes of the tree or vegetation stand.
 Step two: Assess road safety hazard risk– by identifying theStep two: Assess road safety hazard risk– by identifying the
relevant safety factors and then calculating a ‘risk score’ usingrelevant safety factors and then calculating a ‘risk score’ using
a simple Excel spreadsheet containing a series of look-upa simple Excel spreadsheet containing a series of look-up
tables for each factor.tables for each factor.
 Step three: Select the most balanced treatment – using theStep three: Select the most balanced treatment – using the
guidance provided by the Environmental Value-Safety Riskguidance provided by the Environmental Value-Safety Risk
Matrix and accompanying guidelines.Matrix and accompanying guidelines.
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16. Relevant legislationRelevant legislation
 Main Roads ActMain Roads Act
 Biosecurity ActBiosecurity Act
 Biodiversity Conservation ActBiodiversity Conservation Act
 Bushfire ActBushfire Act
 EP&A ActEP&A Act
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17. ResponsibilitiesResponsibilities
 RMSRMS
 Local councilsLocal councils
 HRCCHRCC
 Others e.g. RFS, OEH, LLSOthers e.g. RFS, OEH, LLS
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18. Activity – a maintenance regimeActivity – a maintenance regime
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19. Activity - what is best practice?Activity - what is best practice?
 AssessmentAssessment
 PlanningPlanning
 ImplementationImplementation
 Monitoring and evaluationMonitoring and evaluation
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20. Support – NSW Roadside EnvironmentSupport – NSW Roadside Environment
CommitteeCommittee
• Provides support, advice and resources to linear reserve managersProvides support, advice and resources to linear reserve managers
• Promotes best practice management of these environmentsPromotes best practice management of these environments
• Provides education to the broader community about the importance of linearProvides education to the broader community about the importance of linear
reserve environments in NSWreserve environments in NSW
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21. REC initiativesREC initiatives
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22. Other resourcesOther resources
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23. Thank youThank you
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