Forestry mulching · Colac & the Otway Ranges

Overgrown blocks, tracks and firebreaks, mulched where they stand

A forestry mulching head on our tracked loader shreds scrub, blackberry and small trees on the spot and leaves the mulch on the ground — no burn piles and no truckloads of green waste.

Get a free quote 0448 762 058

Free site assessment
Fixed-price quote
$20M public liability

Tracked loader fitted with a mulching head on a freshly cleared bush track — Fig. — Tracked mulcherFreshly cleared bush track

What it’s good for

Forestry mulching suits scrubby, overgrown ground where you want the land back without the mess of stockpiles and burning.

Overgrown blocks

Reclaiming paddocks, house blocks and bush blocks that scrub has taken over.

Tracks and fence lines

Opening up access tracks and clearing along fences so you can get around and maintain them.

Firebreaks and fuel

Reducing scrub and undergrowth around buildings and along boundaries before summer.

Woody weeds

Knocking down blackberry, gorse and other woody weeds — with follow-up control, the ground stays usable.

Before and after

An overgrown track, opened up

An overgrown bush track before clearing — Before

The same track after mulching, wide and clear — After

Same track, photographed the day before and the day after mulching.

Know the limits before you start

Big trees come down first. The mulcher is for scrub and small trees. Larger trees are felled and processed separately.

Weeds come back without follow-up. Mulching knocks blackberry and gorse down to the ground, but their roots survive. Plan for spraying or regular slashing afterwards.

Ground and weather matter. Tracks help on slopes and soft ground, but very steep, rocky or waterlogged sites limit what any machine can safely do. We’ll assess this on site.

Native vegetation is protected. Clearing native plants, even dead ones, often needs a permit. Some bushfire and fence line exemptions apply, with conditions — check with council before we book the work. Our fire-prep guide explains the bushfire rules.

Tracked loader carrying a log out through wet forest — Otway RangesMoving timber through wet forest

Good to know

Forestry mulching & land clearing: common questions

Ask us something else

Do I need a permit to clear my block?

Often, if the vegetation is native — including dead native vegetation. There are exemptions, such as limited clearing along boundary fences, maintenance pruning, and the 10/30 and 10/50 bushfire rules around older homes in bushfire-prone areas, but each has conditions, and landslip (erosion) overlays add their own. Check with Colac Otway Shire (or Surf Coast Shire for Lorne) before work is booked, and see our permit guide. We’ll flag anything we think needs checking when we look at the site.

Can I walk or drive on it straight away?

Yes. The mulch forms a layer over the ground that you can walk on straight away, and it helps hold the soil and suppress weeds as it breaks down.

Will it get rid of blackberries for good?

Not on its own. Mulching removes the canes, but blackberry and gorse regrow from the roots, so follow-up spraying or slashing is needed to keep them under control.

How much will it cost?

It depends on the area, how dense and tall the growth is, the slope and access: size, species and condition, how close it is to buildings or lines, how easy it is to get gear in, and what you want done with the wood, chips and stump. That’s why we look first. The site assessment is free and your quote is a fixed price for the agreed work — the price we quote is the price you pay.

What happens to bigger trees in the way?

They’re felled first, then chipped, cut into firewood or left as habitat logs, depending on what you want. That’s all written into the quote.

Call 0448 762 058 Free quote

Overgrown blocks, tracks and firebreaks, mulched where they stand