Big Hill, Ravenswood and Harcourt

Between the two towns

Heading south out of Bendigo, the houses spread out. Big Hill sits on the southern edge of the city, and past it Ravenswood gives way to open, rolling country before the road drops towards Harcourt, with Mount Alexander rising off to the east. Harcourt has long been known for its apple orchards and for the granite quarried from the hills around it.

Out here most of our work is on bigger home blocks rather than suburban yards. Typical jobs are slashing grass that's got away in spring, mowing a wide area around the house, clearing fence lines, and carting away the prunings and fallen branches that pile up on a block with a lot of trees.

Two councils, one stretch of road

The corridor straddles a council boundary, and that matters in fire season. Big Hill, Ravenswood and Harcourt North are in the City of Greater Bendigo, which inspects properties from October and issues fire prevention notices with about three weeks to comply. Harcourt township is in Mount Alexander Shire, where the Shire's fire prevention officer and the local CFA inspect before and during the fire season. Either way, if a notice turns up, send us a photo and we'll work to its date.

Getting the timing right

Grass on open blocks along the corridor grows hard after the winter rain and cures quickly once the hot weather arrives. Slashing in October or early November, while it's still green, is easier on the machinery and safer than waiting until it's dry straw in December. Once the CFA declares the Fire Danger Period, extra rules apply to running mowers and slashers in dry grass, and on Total Fire Ban days we don't do it at all.

Green waste from the Bendigo end of the corridor goes to Eaglehawk; from Harcourt it's a shorter run to the Castlemaine Transfer Station.