Call for safer places

By Tania Martin
HILLS residents last week renewed calls for action to establish Neighbourhood Safer Places (NSPs), fearing the leave early bush fire policy was flawed.
More than 40 Dandenong Ranges Community Bush Fire Group (DRCBFG) members last Tuesday (24 November) rallied together at a Yarra Ranges Council meeting.
Group spokeswoman Melanie Gajdek said the State Government’s policy to leave early was seriously flawed.
In just two week, the group has collected more than 800 signatures from concerned residents who say the strategy would not work in the Dandenongs.
Ms Gajdek said for many reasons, good and bad, people would be caught in fire situations.
In addition to leaving early, she said the royal commission recommended that, as a last resort, the best available places be located.
“That is not happening in the Dandenongs,” Ms Gajdek said.
She said action must be taken now to avoid another Black Saturday.
“The only thing needed for the Dandenongs to be the next Marysville, is for good men to do nothing,” Ms Gajdek said
She said the council had three choices: reduce vegetation around places that have already been refuges, find alternative places that can be made safer or do nothing and hope for the best.
Shire director of environment and engineering, Simon Thomas, said the council was working with the CFA to find suitable locations for NSPs.
“We have submitted a list of 63 proposed sites and any fitting the CFA’s criteria will then as a matter of highest priority would be assessed by the council in consultation with other agencies,” he said.
Mr Thomas said the council had been placed in an invidious position by the recent (18 November) release of the draft NSP plan.
He said this now required the council to submit a plan to the treasury for approval before it could designate any NSPs.
“To find this out this late in the piece puts us in a very difficult position,” Mr Thomas said.
“Having only just been advised of these additional requirements, it’s anticipated the plan can be prepared for the next meeting on 8 December…I don’t see any way at this late stage that we can circumvent that process.”
DRCBFG has called for the council to publish the 60 nominated places and their list of compliance issues and presented an 808 signatory petition.
They called for the council to send the petition to the premier to show the community needs government support.