Fire-affected communities in eastern Victoria are calling for a permanent firebreak running 170 kilometres along both sides of the Princes Highway to the New South Wales border.
The highway was closed for almost six weeks in Gippsland from late December until February, during the summer bushfires and clean-up, cutting road access into a number of small towns.
"It was a mammoth impact on Orbost, Cann River, Bemm River. Everyone is impacted when the highway is closed," said Orbost Chamber of Commerce and Industry secretary Garry Squires.
The chamber has submitted a proposal to government agencies calling for a 30-metre clearance along some sections of the highway between Nowa Nowa and NSW.
"It's been talked about for the last 10 years — every time the highway gets closed by storms or fire, people say something has got to be done differently because there are no diversions along that section of the highway," Mr Squires said.
The closure of the Princes Highway cost one local trucking company diverting trucks through Melbourne an extra $100,000 a week in fuel.
"I agree, a strategic firebreak along the Princes Highway would make it safer for locals but also safer for fire crews during the summer months," local Federal Nationals MP Darren Chester said.
Mr Chester said many sections of roadside verges had already been cleared of burnt trees but that would need to be maintained.
"We need a resilient transport corridor because every time the road closes, people lose their jobs and become disconnected from their communities."
Highway is a wildlife corridor too
The proposed firebreak would be of varying widths along the 170 kilometre stretch of the highway.
"It would range from 10 metres to 30 metres wide. Obviously with taller trees you want a wider break so that when they fall they have less impact on the highway," Mr Squires said.
But environmentalists said tourists do not want the gateway to East Gippsland clear-felled.
"Especially 30 metres, that is over zealous," Goongerah Environment Centre campaigner Chris Schuringa said.
"Given that 1.6 million hectares has already been burnt in East Gippsland, roadside habitat is really important and I think for communities that rely on people visiting the region, it's really important that the area's natural values are kept.
"To have our major arterial road closed for days and in the last fire's case, five weeks, due to the fact that there are trees growing right up to the edge of the road, is really not a satisfactory situation."
The firebreak would need Victorian Government approval.
Regional Roads Victoria and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning have been contacted for comment.
