Wednesday, 13 November 2024

Bushfire preparedness

Nicole WERNER (Warrandyte) (19:17): (929) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Environment, and the action I seek is for the government to outline their plans for controlling the forest fuel load across Warrandyte State Park in my electorate. It is clear that much more needs to be done on this issue.

Even before I was elected I heard from locals in Warrandyte about their concerns regarding the bushfire risk in our area and what an uncontrolled blaze would mean for such a densely populated region. In 2020 more than 5000 residents in Warrandyte – that is over 10 per cent of my electorate – signed a petition expressing their belief:

That the government has neglected to proactively manage the Warrandyte State Park, and surrounding public land, which has led to an excessive build-up of fire fuel loads.

For many of my constituents the risk of bushfire is not just a potential inconvenience but an existential threat. Homes and properties are embedded within the surrounding bushland, and a forest fire could quickly engulf homes and endanger livelihoods. This risk is already having tangible impacts as property insurance premiums are rising as insurance companies factor in the growing danger. One constituent recently shared with me that their insurance premium has doubled just in the last two years, largely due to the increased fire risk.

Despite the concerns of thousands in my electorate, the number of planned burns listed by Forest Fire Management Victoria for the Warrandyte area has recently decreased from two to just one over the next three years. This issue is causing deep concern at all levels of my community. Recently Lucy, a year 6 student at Donvale Christian College in my electorate, wrote to me. She said:

As a new resident of Warrandyte, the fire plan is not clear to my family and I. It is my deep concern that if there was a fire, residents, families and animals could be fatally wounded.

She went on to say:

What I propose that the government should do is have a burn off with all the excess sticks once a month and make it mandatory that people who own big properties should also have frequent burn-offs.

Amazing insight from Lucy in year 6 at Donvale Christian College. Given this decrease in planned burns, surely the government must have alternative plans to address the worrying level of fuel loads, and many in my community are eager to hear what those plans are.