By JESSE GRAHAM
A PILOT project to protect vulnerable community members over summer has been hailed as a success, with a report on the project released last week in Cockatoo.
On Wednesday 18 June, Cockatoo and Cardinia community members gathered at Monash Community Health to mark the launch of the Ready2Go Pilot Evaluation Report.
The Ready2Go Pilot Project was run throughout summer from 2013-2014 and involved a team of volunteers protecting vulnerable or elderly residents from bushfire and heat risks.
The volunteers would be alerted if an upcoming day posed significant fire risk or heatwave conditions, and would contact the participants who could elect to re-locate to safety in Pakenham.
The report was officially launched by Gembrook MP Brad Battin, Monash Health’s health promotion practitioner Marlene Dalziel and Ready2Go lead volunteer Sue Wales.
Ms Dalziel said that many participants, whether for age or medical reasons, were often socially isolated and that having the contact with volunteers in the project helped their mental wellbeing.
She said participants had said the communication had made them feel comfortable and looked after, even in the 10-day heatwave that struck the area in January.
Only one of the project participants relocated to Pakenham during the summer, although three of the volunteers enacted their emergency plans and relocated in February.
Ms Dalziel said another benefit of the project was that it had made everyone involved more aware of fire risks and the importance of having plans for extreme risk days.
She said a key issue the project had highlighted was a general reluctance to leave early on days of severe or extreme fire danger, and a startling lack of community members who had written fire plans.
In a survey circulated before the project, 37 people out of 64 respondents said they had a verbal fire plan only, while eight respondents said they had none at all.
The report also lists a number of committee and community recommendations to improve results in the future.
One of the main recommendations is to expand the volunteers, the relocation sites and partnerships through the project, and eventually help to establish projects in other areas in the hills.
“Every community in the Yarra Ranges is at risk as well,” Ms Dalziel said.
Mr Battin praised everyone involved in the Ready2Go project, and said it was a fantastic way to support vulnerable community members.
“We all know who in the street needs assistance – I think that’s what makes us truly Australian,” he said.
– JESSE GRAHAM
