Dandenong Ranges Community Bushfire Group’s Jo Hirst and Melanie Gajdek talk to Liberal Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu about the need to allocate fire refuges in the hills. 51467
By Tania Martin
Earlier this month they met with Liberal Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu near Ferny Creek to call for all sides of government to take action now and accept the commission’s 67 recommendations.
Group secretary Melanie Gajdek said the bottom line was the State Government needed to act now to get fire refuges in the hills before the next fire season.
She said the commission had shown a strong emphasis on people taking responsibility for themselves as well as to leave early on high-risk days.
But Ms Gajdek said despite this people still needed refuges as a last resort option.
However refuges were one of the recommendations the State Government has said it wants to undertake more community consultation on before accepting it.
“Research tell us even after the devastating Black Saturday fires that people aren’t heeding the warnings and are not leaving on high risk days,” Ms Gajdek said.
“The bottom line is there will be here and we need to take responsibility for those people.”
“We only hope people remember what happened on Black Saturday and make the decision to not be here on high risk days,” Ms Gajdek said.
But Ms Gajdek said the time for talk had passed.
“It’s time now for action,” she said.
DRCBFG has called on the State Government to stop their delaying tactics and accept all the recommendations now.
Group president Jo Hirst said although the recommendations were great the State Government needed to step in and provide funding.
She said the onus shouldn’t be left up to local council.
“We need funding resources and indemnity insurance for councils to be able to act now,” Ms Hirst said.
Yarra Ranges’ Streeton Ward councillor Noel Cliff told Mr Baillieu said the council needed to provide some kind of shelter for hills people but it was a struggle when there was no indemnity cover.
“This group (DRCBFG) has been working their butts off like everyone else but we are getting nowhere because there is no indemnity insurance,” he said.
“If this is going to be lumped on us we need the money and indemnity to make it happen.”
Cr Cliff said the Olinda Community House was the place for residents living on the ridgeline to go but had not passed the criteria to be recognised as a Neighbourhood Safer Place.
“The doors will be forced open and they will use it because it’s one of the safest places because of the sprinklers and shutters that were installed years ago.”
Mr Baillieu acknowledged residents in Ferny Creek were living in one of the most dangerous places in terms of fires in Victoria.
“This is an example why we need action not just talk,” he said.
“We have to be search for ways to implement the recommendations not search for ways to avoid them.”
Mr Baillieu said the State Government needed to be implanting policies and procedures for refuges to start the process instead of putting it off for more consultation.
He said although most of the recommendations would require funding, the government should start looking into some of the highest priority projects like refuges and burning off.
“We recognise there will be a huge cost involved but you have to get started, we’ll responsible about it, you can’t do it overnight,” Mr Baillieu said.
However Emergency Services Minister Bob Cameron said the government understood there would be strong community input on the recommendations, which was why it was listening.
He said the State Government had already announced in-principle support of 59 of the recommendations.
“The remaining eight require further consultation with community and agencies, and we have organised a range of meeting to gauge community views,” Mr Cameron said.
