IVM Practices Implemented on DMR Contract

In 2008, Technigro was awarded a Road Maintenance Performance Contract (RMPC) with the Department of Main Roads (DMR) to provide all vegetation management requirements for the network of roads on the western side of the M1 in the South Coast Hinterland District.

Maintaining this particular road network involved a combination of vegetation management practices including clearing, mowing, herbicide application, declared weed management and other specialist activities such as the management of roadside trees and roadside litter collection.

A variety of major grass species populated the roadside environment which made managing the mown environment a particular challenge, given the propensity of many of the species present to quickly breach intervention heights and prematurely trigger a costly off-schedule mowing event.  For this reason, a wide range of strategies have been implemented specifically to manage the taller growing species responsible for this problem.

Through implementation of this integrated approach to vegetation management, Technigro has been able to achieve significant efficiency and productivity gains that in turn have delivered many benefits to the customer, including improved quality, safety and environmental benefits, all of which have contributed to a 25% reduction in the net cost associated with the mown vegetation management.

"The lessons learned from a season on this contract, along with innovations borne from our partnership on the IVMP Project, will now be made available to other customers to assist them in the coming growing seasons" advised Technigro CEO, Nick Bloor, during a recent presentation to Council Vegetation Managers . "Our ultimate aim is to lower the net cost of vegetation management and in the process, help our customers to stretch each maintenance dollar even further".

Field Efficacy Trials for Year Three of the IVMP Project were finalised during a visit from Travis Gannon from North Carolina State University in August. Travis met with the IVMP Project Technical Team and conducted several educational forums. For more information on these events or the proposed field efficacy trials you can contact us or sign up for the IVMP newsletter.

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