Public Health Bushfire May Not Be The Only Bushfire Labor Causes This Year
Regional communities are facing significant fire risk due to the Andrews Labor Government’s prohibition on Melbourne residents travelling to their secondary properties to undertake maintenance.
The DHHS currently advises that you may only leave home to undertake ‘emergency maintenance’ of a property other than your place of residence.
Residents in the designated metropolitan Melbourne area, such as Kylie Borg of Rockbank, have been told by Victoria Police that necessary removal of vegetation does not constitute ‘emergency maintenance’.
The roadmap for reopening in metropolitan Melbourne stipulates that intrastate travel will only be permitted after 19 October 2020 at the earliest, if the targets of case numbers are met.
According to the CFA, “the Fire Danger Period may be declared as early as October in some municipalities” which would preclude controlled burning without permits and limit the use of machinery to reduce vegetation.
Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur has written to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services requesting a clarification of “the regulations around travelling to secondary properties to allow the undertaking of maintenance that is not strictly ‘emergency maintenance’, but important maintenance for fire risk mitigation.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur:
“The Premier often harps on about the current ‘public health bushfire’. Well he’s going to have some real bushfires on his hands unless he allows Melbournians to reduce fuel loads on their regional properties before the Fire Danger Period.”
“The last thing regional Victoria needs after the economic catastrophe caused by Labor’s public health disaster, is another season of bushfires because property owners were denied the ability to reduce vegetation.”
“Reducing fuel loads on farming properties is vitally important for preventing fire risk, unbeknown to this inside-the-tram-tracks Government.”
Quotes attributable to Nick Wakeling, Shadow Minister for Emergency Services:
"As we head towards this year's fire season, it is imperative that Andrews adopts a common sense approach to reducing fuel loads on private properties across regional Victoria."
"Given that Andrews has also placed bans on CFA volunteers undertaking urgent fuel reduction burns, it is clear that this Government is putting regional Victoria at significant risk."
Quotes attributable to Kylie Borg:
“Our family desperately wants to visit our second farming property to reduce overgrown vegetation before the fire season starts, but can’t without risking a hefty fine.”
“It’s not fair on us or the local community that significant fire risk could be left unaddressed heading into the summer, and I’m sure that there are countless other Victorians who are in the same position.”
29 September 2020