Safer places concern

By Kath Gannaway
AS THE Yarra Valley remains without any approved neighbourhood safer places (NSPs), Yarra Ranges councillors last week reluctantly endorsed the shire’s first two in the Dandenong Ranges.
At its last meeting for the year, on Tuesday 8 December, Monbulk Recreation Reserve and Morrison Reserve at Mount Evelyn were endorsed by the council.
While the endorsement was unanimously passed, comments from councillors Avery, Dunn and Warren left no doubt they had concerns about the process and the result, which they say ‘required’ them to put the NSPs in place.
The shire submitted 67 potential sites to the CFA for assessment, of which 19 in the Dandenong Ranges were given priority for assessment.
Twelve of the sites met the CFA criteria, but nine are not on council land and council is still awaiting confirmation on the status of legal liability and insurance for those sites, according to mayor Len Cox.
There are, however, no sites in the Yarra Valley approved at this time.
The CFA’s website lists four in the Upper Yarra area that are compliant with CFA guidelines.
It also lists a number of sites – which are not complaint with the guidelines – in both the Yarra Valley and the Dandenong Ranges, as well as several in and around Healesville, Coldstream and one in Yarra Junction, which are yet to be assessed against the CFA guidelines.
Cr Cox, in a statement issued after the meeting, said it was critical residents were not lulled into a false sense of security, thinking their safety was guaranteed in these places.
He hinted at the issues raised by councillors Avery and Warren who accused the State Government of bullying councils into endorsing the NSPs.
“In line with the 2009 bushfire royal commission’s recommendations and newly passed State Government legislation, Victoria’s councils were required to identify, designate, establish and maintain suitable places as NSPs in their municipal districts,” Cr Cox said.
Cr Avery said he didn’t want to vote in favour of the motion (to endorse Mount Evelyn and Monbulk).
“I don’t think I have any choice,” he said. “We are being bullied by the State Government on this.”
Cr Warren said the NSPs sent the wrong message to people.
“You have about 300 cars in Monbulk, you will have people stuck in traffic and it will be chaotic. We are sending the wrong message and Cr Avery is right, we are being bullied into this,” he said. “I have no trouble with these two, but how many people will actually get there, and what will that do to the others trying to get to them,” he said.
Cr Heenan and Cr Dunn also spoke critically of the process which, they said, left them with no option but to endorse sites which pass the CFA and shire assessments.
In relation to NSPs in the Yarra Valley Cr Cox said the council was working with the police, CFA and other agencies to progressively identify and assess locations over the next six months. “We are currently assessing more sites, and if these are passed before the next scheduled council meeting, a special council meeting will be convened for formal endorsement,” he said.
He urged communities to remember that NSPs were places of last resort.
“They are not a place to relocate to when leaving early,” he said. “The safest option is always to leave a high-risk area early.”