Valley still lacks safer place choice

By Tania Martin
YARRA VALLEY residents still have no place to go if caught in a bushfire this summer despite Yarra Ranges Shire approving another two Neighbourhood Safer Places (NSPs).
The council last month reluctantly approved two places at the Belgrave and Upwey recreation reserves.
But councillors said they had no other choice following the release of new emergency services legislation late last year.
This brings the number of designated place to four after the council approved the Monbulk Recreation Reserve and Mount Evelyn’s Morrison Reserve in December.
Other locations looked at were in Olinda at the back of the shops and Belgrave’s Safeway car park.
Both failed the final hurdle following a number of safety and road management issues. At a meeting 22 December, Lyster Ward councillor Samantha Dunn said it was difficult finding any place that fit the bill.
“We are still very concerned about the messages out there in relation to these places,” she said.
Cr Dunn has renewed warning to residents and tourists to only use the designated places if they had nowhere else to go.
She said the council had no other choice but to designate NSPs following the newly passed emergency services laws.
“It is explicit in what it says in that the council must identify and designate NSPs, unfortunately whether we agree with it or not the act is clear on our responsibility as a local government authority,” Cr Dunn said.
Melba Ward’s Cr Terry Avery believed there shouldn’t be any NSPs but said the council had no choice in the matter. “I think they are a danger and there will be people who die on the way to these places,” he said.
But a Yarra Ranges-based bushfire group said although leaving early would be the best option, it was not always possible.
Group spokeswoman Melanie Gajdek said for many if their plan to leave early failed there was no acceptable ‘plan b’.
She said NSPs may fail but that was why they were called ‘places of last resort’.
But Ms Gajdek said the shire seemed to believe residents would prefer to be left with no place to go than have a nominated place that had an element of risk.
Streeton Ward’s Cr Noel Cliff said in a perfect world everyone would go away on those high risk days.
But he said in reality that was not going to happen.
Cr Cliff said that since the ’60s there had been a consistent push for people to leave early following major fire events like Black Saturday.
“We all saw what happened in the last fire season, it just doesn’t work,” he said.
“The reality is that people will still be there and, as the bottom level of government deals with the people, so we will be the first one they look to.”
“We can’t just say we aren’t going to have the damn things … it’s on us, we have a responsibility and it’s better for us to have some control,” Cr Cliff said.
Ms Gajdek said although it was good to see more places approved it was still not enough.
“All approved are open spaces and provide no protection from ember attack or smoke,” she said.