By Natalie Gallenti
AS the hot weather approaches Brimbank residents are calling on the council to maintain grasslands to reduce fire and snake hazards.
Ardeer resident Jason Peterson said he was shocked at the state of the grass behind his property on Rockbank Road and demanded the council take action and cut grass as snake season loomed.
Mr Peterson said young children often played in the paddocks, but parents were now fearful for their safety.
And already two residents had spotted tiger snakes lurking in the area.
“The grass should be getting cut monthly,” he said.
“It’s a dead asset because no one can use it.
Long-time snake catcher Tom Vida said he had already been called out to retrieve snakes from Brimbank properties.
His latest job was only last week when he caught a tiger snake at a Taylors Lakes residence.
But he said keeping grass short was not the answer to curbing Brimbank’s snake problem.
“Long grass is better. Snakes will stay in the long grass because their food, like mice and insects, are there and they don’t have to go out to find them,” Mr Vida said.
Mr Vida, who has been catching snakes in Melbourne’s western suburbs for 35 years, said Brimbank had the most snake sightings followed by Hobsons Bay.
He said Taylors Lakes was the worst area, particularly for brown snakes.
Brimbank City Council general manager of infrastructure and environment Paul Younis said the south side of Kororoit Creek along Rockbank Rd was owned and managed by Melbourne Water, from the Western Ring Rd to Tower St.
In addition, the powerline easement at the rear of Norwood St was privately owned and maintained and Mr Younis said the property would be subject to an inspection as part of the council’s fire abatement local-law.
He said the council managed two conservation assets from the Selwyn Park to Ballarat Rd section of Kororoit Creek to an address in Norwood St, Albion.
“The land surrounding the conservation assets is managed by the council, and this area is part of a regular maintenance program,” he said.
“The area is scheduled to be cut within the next fortnight.”
