Gippsland East electorate
Tim BULL (Gippsland East) (14:50): (632) My question is to the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, and the information I am seeking is: who is responsible when trees on road reserves fall across private boundary fencing causing significant damage? I am asking the minister to clarify that for me. Landowners are only allowed to clear within 1 metre of their boundary fencing. They know that these trees are going to fall when we get a storm, and we have had a lot in East Gippsland lately where a significant number of trees have fallen over private freehold boundary fencing. These farmers and these landholders know these trees are going to fall. If they clear them themselves, they are charged, but when they then fall over private boundary fencing, they are left with the costs of that – so it seems. So I ask the minister to please clarify for me who is responsible for the costs when these trees fall from road reserves across boundary fencing causing significant damage.