Fire risk clean-up call

By Kath Gannaway
Next week the shire will kick off Bushfire Action Week – 11 to 18 October – with a month of free green-waste disposal and is encouraging residents to clean up around their properties.
But Ms Owen and Mr Tonge say the shire’s own back yard, including roadside nature strips in some areas and Coronation Park adjacent to Healesville township are carrying a potentially dangerous levels of ground-fuel that has built up over a number of years.
Yarra Ranges mayor Len Cox warned last week that the shire could see a fire season with similar or worse threats than experienced in February.
“With less than two months until the next fire season, there is no time for delay,” he said.
“Clearing away fine fuels including dry grass, leaves, twigs and loose bark are important steps in bushfire preparation,” he said.
Cr Chris Templer is also urging residents to be “pro-active” in reducing fuel and maintaining that process over summer.
The council says it is spending $2 million on fire preparations, including 40,000 property inspections, issuing 1800 fire prevention notices, slashing 1500km of roadside vegetation and fire preparation for council reserves, but Ms Owen says that has already proved inadequate.
“Some bark was removed from around trees in Coronation Park after three years of complaints,” Ms Owen said and she said some work was done after the fires following a tour of the park with a shire officer.
“In all my conversations with the shire the message I get is that there is a reluctance to disturb the natural environment, which builds up constantly in the park, or along roadsides.”
Mr Tonge also called for greater emphasis on fuel reduction and pointed out a number of areas in Coronation Park he said had had little attention over the years.
“It’s obvious the less fuel you have the less the fire intensity and the more successful management by emergency services will be if a fire goes through,” he said.
“It is incumbent on the council to show more commitment to keeping fuel lower in its local areas and therefore to the safety of the town and its surroundings.
“When you look back at the enormous accumulation (of ground fuel) in the parks and along the roadsides last summer, if the wind direction had been unfavourable, it’s quite likely Healesville township would have been in a lot of trouble.”
The shire’s asset maintenance manager, Grant Jack, said private landowners were being asked to reduce fuel around houses because of the proximity to buildings and the fire risk associated with radiant heat.
He said Coronation Park had a number of barriers between the park and the township.
“It becomes an issue of proximity and distance,” he said.
“The shire’s municipal fire prevention officers are carrying out inspections in every street of the shire and issuing fire prevention notices on private properties where fine fuel is an issue that may cause a fire hazard.
“As part of that they will also be looking at our own reserves and roadsides where they may impact on properties.”
Mr Jack said the shire was doing a number of things differently this year and was working with the CFA.
“With existing tree and weed management programs we are looking at how we can align them with fire management objectives so we are targeting areas that are assessed as high risk because they are strategic roads, or have high weed matter, to reduce not only the week load but to try to achieve improved fire safety or reduce fire risk in those areas.”
Mr Jack said that assessment was in progress and it was anticipated it would go to council in late October allowing time for work to be carried out in November/December.
“We understand that this matter is emotive on both sides – environment and fire management – and we are trying to take a responsible and balance approach based on science, good practice and a proper assessment process,” Mr Jack said.