Fuel breaks to fight fire

ENVIRONMENTAL Minister Gavin Jennings announced that a network of fuel breaks will be constructed across the state to keep fire out of water catchments and protect national parks and townships.
Mr Jennings said fuel breaks were an effective way of reducing fire risk for people, towns, farmland, catchments, wildlife, parks and Aboriginal cultural heritage assets around Victoria.
“Strategically constructed fuel breaks in areas of public land will support all the fire prevention work carried out by Victorians on private land,” Mr Jennings said. “Fire breaks also increase the safety of Victoria’s paid and volunteer firefighters by providing a safer place from which to conduct backburning during bushfires and planned fuel-reduction burning during spring and autumn.” Construction of fuel breaks is part of a broader fire prevention strategy which includes annual fuel reduction burning, slashing and track maintenance and high capability responses.
The DSE is working with Melbourne Water and Parks Victoria to establish a list of priority locations for the fuel breaks.