By Derek Schlennstedt
Land and fire management agencies are calling on the public to help inform strategic bushfire management planning for high bushfire risk communities in Melbourne’s east, including the Yarra Ranges.
Strategic bushfire management planning is a multi-agency process that addresses the risks posed by bushfires on both public and private land.
It uses the latest science and technology and draws on community values that need protecting.
Forest Fire Management Victoria Regional Manager Forest and Fire Planning Damien Taylor said that so far communities in the Dandenong Ranges, the mountain foothills, and further afield have told FFM that the most important things to protect include; “human life, private property, the natural environment, human health and well-being, infrastructure, regional economies and cultural heritage.”
“We’ve heard that communities in eastern Melbourne want better support for landowners to undertake bushfire mitigation activities, and that they want education and information about bushfire risk,” he said.
“We now need community input into bushfire management strategies to help us strike the right balance.
“This feedback will inform our bushfire management strategies and guide future work such as fuel management, targeted community engagement, and prioritisation of government resources.”
Strategic bushfire management planning uses technology developed in partnership with the University of Melbourne to identify those areas in eastern Melbourne where bushfires pose the greatest risk.
This modelling approach helps FFM to direct their bushfire management efforts to areas of greatest risk, including the most effective places to target fuel reduction.
Previously, this planning process has focused on bushfire risk across public land though; according to FFM they have since broadened their focus to help determine where to target fuel management on both public and private land.
“For the first time, a process for prioritising fuel management will be applied to private land.”
“It is an opportunity to start a conversation with the community about how we can all work together to reduce bushfire risk,” Mr Taylor said.
The new strategies will guide bushfire risk reduction on both public and private land across eastern Melbourne into the future.
To have your say, go to: https://engage.vic.gov.au/bushfire-planning
