Community Bushfire Safety Expo
Cindy McLEISH (Eildon) (09:43): The St Andrews Community Bushfire Safety Expo was held on 8 October. There was a good turnout of landholders keen to learn and gather information. It was particularly pleasing to see people in attendance who had no previous bushfire experience getting prepared, as we are potentially heading into a high fire danger season. It was pleasing to see the broad range of practical advice that was on offer to everybody who attended. Topics ranged from fuel reduction to preparing fire plans and assessing property risk. These expos require the time and effort of many people behind the scenes to make the day a success, so I applaud the efforts of the Panton Hill and St Andrews CFA brigades in hosting this event and in particular Mike Jansz and Colin Paisley. Sadly, highly regarded bushfire expert Kevin Tolhurst, who was scheduled to speak, died a few days earlier. The loss of his expertise will be greatly felt across Victoria.