Don’t ignore a closure and drive into trouble

SEASONAL road closures are now in effect across Victoria, and public land authorities are warning off-road adventurers to obey all closed tracks and gates in forests and parks.

The Conservation Regulator and Forest Fire Management Victoria officers are targeting illegal vehicle use and gate breaches on public land during patrols over the cooler, wetter months of the year.

Seasonal closures are in force between June and November every year to protect sensitive environments and to preserve public access tracks when they are most vulnerable to damage.

Driving off-road and going around these gates destroys important native plants and wildlife habitat, including billy buttons and clover glycine.

Between June and November last year, authorities recorded more than 400 breaches of closed gates and roads across Victoria, with hotspots in alpine areas, Mt Disappointment State Forest, and Lerderderg State Park.

Conservation Regulator officers also fined more than 95 people over the same period for vehicle offences, including illegally driving or riding off-road or on a closed road, and breaching a closed gate.

Last year, a Bairnsdale man was convicted and ordered to pay $1,744 in fines and legal costs after he pleaded guilty to damaging a seasonal closure gate and driving on a closed road in Nunniong State Forest in October 2021.

In Victoria, it is illegal to drive or ride on a closed road on public land. Anyone caught breaching road closure rules can be fined up to $925, and the offence carries a maximum penalty of $9,246 if prosecuted in court.

“Victoria’s forests are home to thousands of native plants that need our protection and there is no excuse for people deliberately driving and riding around locked gates or on closed roads,” Conservation Regulator acting director of regulatory operations David McIlroy said.

“The damage they cause seriously threatens environmental health and biodiversity.”

To find out more information about seasonal closures, head to ffm.vic.gov.au/forest-and-road-closures

Local conditions and weather can affect the timing and locations of road closures, so before leaving home, drivers can check specific tracks at mapshare.vic.gov.au/webmap/publicaccess

If you notice any illegal vehicle use on public land, you can report it anonymously to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action on 13 61 86.

For more information about rules on public land, head to vic.gov.au/rules-in-state-forests