Community
13 August, 2026
Rapid response clears fallen trees
FALLEN trees blocking the Princes Highway over the weekend were swiftly cleared thanks to a farmer sending his tractor to support Victorian State Emergency Service (VICSES) volunteers.
VICSES Terang unit controller Jamie Rowe said volunteers had received the callout at 7.58am on Saturday morning after a tree had fallen, which also brought down a second tree.
The location of the trees near a slight bend on the highway at Boorcan, the speed limit of 100kmh and the volume of traffic using the road triggered a lights and sirens response to get the trees removed as quickly as possible.
The arduous task of removing two large trees was made easier thanks some country ingenuity from a local volunteer who was working nearby.
“We had a standard response gauging who was working and who wasn’t, because we’re all volunteers, but we were lucky enough to have a member who works nearby on a farm,” Mr Rowe said.
“The farmer allowed him to bring out their big tractor so we were able, with a crew of four plus our guy in the tractor, to remove the trees.
“They were cut up into bigger sections and pushed off the road.”
The assistance of the heavy machinery streamlined the removal process, ensuring the highway was able to be reopened in only around half an hour.
“We had police on scene for the traffic because it was in a bad spot with cars moving at volume and speeds in that location, but police were able to close it down temporarily,” Mr Rowe said.
“It was probably only about half an hour to get the road back open and then another half hour to clear all the debris.
“We’re lucky to have a member working close by and his boss allowed him to bring the tractor out.”