Media response - weed and bushfire fuel load management

Published on 04 December 2025

Enquiry - The Advertiser

I’m seeking comment from the City of Onkaparinga for a story regarding community fire-danger preparedness following today’s CFS press conference.

The CFS emphasised the importance of removing potential fuel loads ahead of the forecast extreme fire danger conditions. Locals have since raised concerns about significant weed overgrowth on the verge at the Honeypot Rd and Goldsmith Dr intersection, which has recently appeared on Facebook after being decorated as a small Christmas tree.

Residents say the overgrowth poses a potential fire risk and believe the council should address it as part of broader preparedness efforts.

Could you please advise:

• Whether the council is aware of the overgrowth at this intersection;
• Whether there are plans to clear or maintain this verge;
• What steps the council is taking more broadly to ensure council-managed land is prepared for the heightened fire danger forecast this week.

Response

Weed management

We carry out weed control on unmaintained residential verges along main roads, such as Goldsmith Drive, 4 times per year, including treatment during November and December through our city-wide weed management schedule.

The Honeypot Rd/Goldsmith Dr intersection under council care and control was mowed on Tuesday. This Noarlunga Centre urban location isn’t zoned as a high bushfire risk area. It’s also worth noting the verge on the Colonnades side of Goldsmith Drive is privately owned.

For all other local urban roads, we conduct weed treatment on unmaintained verges 3 times annually, including a scheduled November and December treatment.

While our roadside weed control program is designed to reduce and manage weed growth, we can’t guarantee all verges will remain completely weed-free between scheduled treatments.

Environmental factors such as rainfall, soil conditions and seasonal growth patterns can contribute to the re-emergence of weeds between maintenance cycles. This season’s late and heavier rainfall, for example, has created excess growth between visits.

We receive many requests for maintenance work, including weed removal on DIT roads, which aren’t maintained by the council. You can help by checking the list of non-council roads in our city before submitting a request.

How we prepare for bushfire season

We also undertake fuel load reduction activities on our rural roadsides and open space areas, and our mowing program is based on a risk-management approach.

We prioritise mowing in areas that begin drying (curing) first, and then progressively move into locations that typically retain moisture and remain greener for longer, such as the hills face.

This means we closely monitor curing rates and adjust schedules accordingly. Where grasses remain green, mowing may be temporarily held back – even if the fire danger season has formally begun – to avoid unnecessary repeat cuts and to ensure resources are deployed efficiently.

If curing occurs faster than expected, our program is adjusted to focus on higher-risk locations.

The introduction of our high-tech, remote-controlled mower has improved our ability to manage fuel loads in steep, difficult or previously inaccessible areas, enhancing fire-prevention outcomes.

Further follow-up mowing is scheduled in areas where regrowth is evident because of the recent late-season rainfall, to ensure we maintain appropriate fuel-load reduction as conditions change.

As the largest council in SA, we maintain more than 1,900 hectares of open space and 1,200 kilometres of rural roadside reserves on a rotational basis all year-round.

This is the busiest time of year for grass-cutting as our field staff tackles abundant growth, so we appreciate your patience.

ENDS