By Tania Martin
Emerald CFA Captain Paul Yandle and Clematis CFA Captain Shane Miller are calling for the CFA to reconsider a move to change their regional boundaries. 49330
Picture: Nigel Clements
EMERALD and Clematis fire brigades are appealing for public support in a bid to stop a move that would see them reshuffled into the same region as Pakenham.
They say the move from region 13 to eight would not only be detrimental to the brigades but also to hills emergency management.
But CFA CEO Mick Bourke said the boundary realignment, which will come into effect from 1 July, would be improving the fire authority’s ability to plan and manage for future emergencies.
He said the new boundaries would align with those of other emergency services.
“The Dandenong Ranges group will have two less brigades, but the overall fire service will not be reduced to the area as none of the brigades will be closing down,” Mr Bourke said.
But Clematis CFA Captain Shane Miller said the brigades would be operating on a different radio channel to their hills counterparts.
“We will be in same position the police are at the moment, where Emerald cops are dealing with Pakenham and run from Pakenham,” he said.
Emerald’s Captain Paul Yandle said being on a different radio channel would leave the brigades in the dark to what was happening in the rest of the hills.
“Management-wise, we will be looked after by people who don’t really know the area …they won’t have the local knowledge,” he said.
Capt Miller said any major fires in the Emerald district would then be run from Pakenham instead of Belgrave.
“If things are run from down there and the Pakenham or Beaconsfield Roads get blocked there’s no way they can send support up here,” he said.
They said the move could also have a massive impact on the hills.
“If our tankers are off on a strike team and Macclesfield and Menzies Creek are also out, it would leave this whole area stripped of resources,” Capt Miller said.
“I can’t see how they are going to co-ordinate that between the two groups.”
Capt Yandle said they understood the reason for the move and it made sense to align CFAs with their respective council borders.
But, he said, it just wasn’t a good move for Emerald or Clematis.
“For our little hole in the hills up here we are actually going to be cutting off the end of the Dandenongs and shoving it across to a different municipality and Department of Human Services area just to make all the lines match on the map,” Capt Miller said.
The brigades have been working for the past six months in a bid to reverse the decision, but have not been successful.
Capt Yandle said the move would also add pressure to both captains’ workload as the ranges region still expected them to attend meetings in region 13 as well as region eight.
They are now calling for community support to stop the move.
Residents can sign a petition, which is expected to be available at the Emerald Community House next week.
