Background

There is a substantial plantation of mature pine trees located along West Road and Northern Highway frontage of the Pyalong Recreation Reserve. In addition to the pines, there are a small number of indigenous trees throughout the plantation.

Residential housing and the Pyalong Primary School are located directly across from the reserve on West Road. The Pyalong township is principally spread to the south and east of the reserve.

Some members of the Pyalong community expressed its concerns about bushfire risk with the reserve’s proximity to the school and houses, and its status as a Neighbourhood Safer Place – Bushfire Place of Last Resort.

In 2019, the place-based community planning pilot project clarified and identified the level of community concern the pine plantation presented to the community.

As part of the community facilitation element of this project, Council convened an internal working group to investigate the bushfire risk and the associated costs for mitigation.