Cobar, Coonamble, Lachlan and the Warrumbungles will see upgrades to their fire trails in preparation for summer, as part of an inspection of around 546 fire trails statewide in the coming weeks. 

Crown Lands and the Rural Fire Service will conduct aerial inspections to see which fire trails require maintenance work, such as in the case of erosion or vegetation growth, or if watercourse crossings need repairs. 

NSW Soil Conservation Service will do on-ground maintenance work where needed. 

Emergency service workers and wildlife service use fire trails to contain and manage bushfires as hotter temperatures approach. 

"Fire trails are critical infrastructure," Acting Project Officer for Bushfire Crownlands, Paula Gilchrist said.

"Ahead of the bushfire season, we need to get out there and make sure they are all safe and accessible for our firefighters, so that our communities can have the best possible protection.

"We send the report out to the bushfire management committees. Crownlands will prioritise upgrades around these reports," she said.

"Because they are unsealed roads, they risk erosion so you have to maintain the structures to ensure you get as much durability of the service as you can," Joss Halling, soil conservation service area manager for the Central West and Sydney said. 

The NSW government has allocated $7.9 million for ground maintenance and strategic fire trails on  Crown land in 2024-2025 and a further $4.8 million for hazard reduction activities such as controlled burns. 

“Crown Lands is responsible for maintaining approximately 2,400 kilometers of fire trails, and over 660 hectares of Asset Protection Zones across NSW to ensure adequate fire breaks between bushland and buildings in residential areas," Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said. 

“Ensuring our fire trails are properly maintained is critical to protecting our firefighters and communities across the state as we head into a potentially dangerous bushfire season," Mr Kamper said.