samantha in the press - planning

CFA nod for house
Mail Newspapers
by Emma Sun
22 May 2012

know your bushfire risk

I recently attended my local CFA community meeting on bushfire awareness.

It was terrific to see a number of locals there, both newcomers to the area and people who've lived in the area a long time. It was heartening to learn that this session was one of the best attended.

A straw poll on the night revealed around half the attendees had a written bushfire plan and the CFA put forward a detailed case as to why every household should have a written bushfire plan.

It's important to be prepared, the CFA has a wealth of online information here, you can also click here to find a local CFA meeting in your area.

I was pleased to be able to launch the Shire's Are You Fire Ready? Family Bushfire Relocation Card as part of council's efforts to ensure community bushfire preparedness.

Here I am pictured with two of our Family Day Care providers, this useful guide will be distributed throughout shire services including Long Day Care and Family Day Care.

The z-card is credit card sized fold out information sheet and contains practical tips to make bushfire planning easier and has some great ideas for places to go when you need to relocate with your family.

It also includes a handy checklist for bushfire survival to jog your memory about the sorts of things you need to consider if you live in a high fire danger area.

Due to its design it fits easily into a purse of wallet and is there when you need it most.

If you'd like a card, they are available at all Shire Community Links, the local ones near Lyster Ward being Upwey and Monbulk, the cards are also available at our libraries.

If you'd like advice on retrofitting your home so it's better protected from bushfire the Building Commission has produced this handy guide.

If you'd like a free CFA site assessment so you're better prepared and understand your bushfire risk you can book online, call the Victorian Bushfire Information Line on 1800 240 667 or email Nic Rodway on n.rodway@cfa.vic.gov.au (for Eastern Metropolitan Region).

There's a whole lot of information out there, so don't delay, be prepared and know your bushfire risk.

samantha in the press - bushfire

Refuge Heat
Mail Newspapers
by Casey Neill
01 Nov 2011

Hills miss fire buy-up
Mail Newspapers
by Casey Neill
01 Nov 2011

samantha in the media - fire refuges

No fire refuges ready for fire season
ABC 7:30 Victoria
by Stephanie March
14 Oct 2011

samantha in the press - bushfire preparedness

Vic Govt under fire
Weekly Times
by Peter Hunt
5 Oct 2011

samantha in the press - emergency management

Yarra Ranges councillor attacks attitude on bushfires (not me)
Leader Newspapers
by Kimberley Seedy
21 September 2011

new fire prevention staff

Yarra Ranges Council has employed two new officers to assist with our bushfire prevention activities.

A Weed Management officer and a Fuel Management officer will be involved in our bushfire preparation in the lead up to this year's fire season.

Pittosporum are terrible weeds in the Dandenongs and contribute to fuel loads and fire risk. It's much easier to get rid of them at this size than when they grown into fully blown trees.

The officers will work closely to assess fuel loads on council property including road reserves and will work to manage the fire risk in an appropriate way whilst minimising the impact on Yarra Ranges precious bushland.

The new Weed Management officer will be responsible for mapping high conservation areas for weeds and implementing council's $300,000 weed blackspot program. They are also responsible for council's $60,000 noxious weeds program on council land and roadsides.

The new Fuel Management officer will oversee council's slashing program and work closely with CFA and council's Municipal Fire Prevention Officers.

Weeds create additional fuel load and fire risk and targetting them is an important part of bushfire preparation.

Department of Corrections crews will assist with the on the ground works as part of the weed fuel management program.

Weeds continue to be a huge issue in Yarra Ranges, as they impact on many areas including bushfire risk, not to mention biodiversity and water quality. If you'd like more information on how to tackle weeds on your property click here.

samantha in the press – 10/30 rule

Yarra Ranges survivors warn tree clearing not the only way

Lilydale & Yarra Valley Leader

by Alex Munro

10 Aug 2010

emergency planning, fire plans & sharing resources

report from the roundtable – 9 mar
This week’s council meeting saw council sign off on important documents that deal with the Shire’s emergency response and fire prevention plans.

Up for consideration was the Shire’s Municipal Fire Prevention Plan, Municipal Emergency Management Plan and the Protocol for Inter-Council Emergency Management Resource Sharing.

The Municipal Fire Prevention Plan aims to identify fire related risks in the shire and outline how council will responds to those risks and contribute to the overall fire prevention effort in the region. The Plan has been fully reviewed and updated to include the recommendations by the Bushfires Royal Commission. It has been signed off by the Shire’s Municipal Fire Management Planning Committee.

I was pleased to able the second the motion to adopt the MFPP. It is a comprehensive document that clearly articulates council’s role in fire prevention actions.

The Municipal Emergency Management Plan is half way through a two stage twelve month review. The Shire’s current MEMP has been updated in include recommendations from the Bushfires Royal Commission and to clarify some of the revised responses by the Shire of Yarra Ranges to relief and recovery practices as a result of our recent experience from the Black Saturday bushfires. The latest version also includes details about Neighbourhood Safer Places.

The Shire’s MEMP is reviewed annually by the Emergency and Safety Planning Unit to ensure it is relevant and up to date. After our experiences of the Black Saturday bushfire and due to the Bushfires Royal Commission the MEMP is undergoing significant changes and is under a full review.

Amendments to the MEMP considered at this council meeting include:
· New staff positions in the Municipal Emergency Coordination Centre (MECC), Emergency Relief Centres (ERCs) and in the field;
· Role Statements for each position in the MECC and ERCs;
· Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for each task required for emergency response and relief;
· Revised MECC structure dependant upon the scale of an emergency;
· Revised MECC floor plan;
· Situation, Mission, Execution, Administration, Communications, Safety (SMEACS)briefing tool;
· Sub-plan Coordinators are now called Operations Officers (MECC and field operations) or Officers (logistics and planning in the MECC);
· Revised MECC and ERC activation phases in line with the new Fire Danger Index warning system;
· Locations of the new Emergency Relief Centres; and
· New Eastern Region Relief and Recovery arrangements.

I was pleased to be able to move the motion for council to endorse the plan, it is a comprehensive document to outline the shire’s emergency response including relief and recovery.

The Protocol for Inter Council Emergency Management Resource Sharing is a document that details an agreed position between councils regarding the provision of council resources to assist other councils with response and recovery tasks during emergencies. The Yarra Ranges council originally adopted the protocol back in October, 2008 however in light of recent changes to emergency management arrangements in Victoria the MAV has requested all councils reconfirm their commitment to the protocol.

At Yarra Ranges we have already seen the spirit of the protocol in action with numerous councils assisting Yarra Ranges to deal with the Black Saturday bushfires. Only last week the protocol came into play with the City of Knox asking Yarra Ranges to be prepared to assist after Knox was pelted in the recent hail storms.

Once again, I was pleased to move the motion. It cements an ongoing and positive relationship with our neighbouring municipalities in times of need during an emergency.

bushfire preparation, warnings & action – what the community thinks

Today the CFA released details of three recent surveys into community attitudes towards bushfire preparation, warnings and action.


























The survey results show that significant numbers of people still plan on staying at home on Code Red days.

As a result of the surveys Emergency Services are again reminding people living in high bushfire risk areas of the importance of leaving early.

CFA and the Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner both recently commissioned research into community attitudes towards bushfire preparation, warnings and actions. A third piece of research was also commissioned by the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre into residents actions during the Black Saturday bushfires.

The CFA report shows that more than 84% of people living in high bushfire risk areas have a Bushfire Survival Plan and 94% of people recognise that they need to be self-sufficient in the event of a bushfire.

Most alarming was that almost one in three people surveyed (31.3%) plan to stay at home on Code Red days. Of these respondents 25% said there would need to be a fire before they considered leaving their home.

This is a dangerous decision to be making, the last place to be when there is an active fire is on the road trying to escape and on a Code Red day conditions are guaranteed to be treacherous.

The weather conditions on Black Saturday were ferocious and resulted in a tragic loss of life, natural assets and built assets.

Code Red days are, by their very nature, fierce and extreme weather days, it is not safe to be in an area of bushfire risk on these days let alone on the road.

I urge people to think very carefully about their fire plans on these days, it is extremely dangerous to stay in your home on these days.

Below is a summary of each of the three research papers released today.

1. Behaviour and Intentions of Household in High Bushfire Risk Areas – a report for the CFA prepared by Strahan Research

Strahan Research Pty Ltd were commissioned to undertake the survey and report findings to CFA on community behaviour and intentions of households in high bushfire risk areas in relation to understanding risk, undertaking preparedness and response during fire. The survey was conducted in December by telephone using a sample of 400 households spread across the 52 High Risk Townships/Zones in Victoria.

Key Findings:
Ø Most people know that they need to be self sufficient in the event of a bushfire (94%);
Ø Most respondents understand bushfire could impact their property (92.4%);
Ø Over 84% of respondents had a bushfire plan and 92% of them had discussed it with the household and 52% had practised it.
Ø More needs to be done to cement the intent of Code Red Days, significant minorities are still unclear of its status or required actions (21.7% and 23.8% respectively);
Ø 25% of respondents still say that they will do as much as they can to defend their property and leave when threatened.
Ø 60.6% of respondents plan to leave their property on Code Red Days and 31.3% plan not to leave. Of those staying, 25.3% will reconsider in the event of fire while 40% feel safe or prepared to defend.

2. ‘Where are they going?’ People Movement During Bushfires – a report prepared for OESC by Strahan Research

The research was undertaken by Strahan Research with a sample of 600 households in the 52 identified high bushfire risk townships for the Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner. It was done in early November to understand what actions people were planning to take this fire season.

Key Findings:
Ø 15% of people have changed their plans since 7 February 2009
Ø 45% plan to leave on Code Red days and 48% say they will initially stay with their property (this is similar findings to the research undertaken by CFA)
Ø If there is a fire 48% believe it will take them 10 minutes or less to get where they want to go
Ø While 45% of people surveyed said they will leave the fire-prone area, to places such as: with relatives/friends outside area (45%), to Melbourne or provincial city (13%) or to a beach or waterway (6%) - 9% of people still plan to go to a public place in the fire zone
Ø On Code Red days 26% of people will wait to be advised when to go.
Ø 20% said Neighbourhood Safer Places are fundamental to their plan, this indicates an NSP is their first option. 5% see NSPs as their 2nd option.

3. The Second Report on Human Behaviour and Community Safety – a report prepared by the Bushfire CRC Research Task Force

Key Findings:
Ø Respondents most commonly became aware of the presence of fire in their neighbourhood through sensory cues in the environment such as smoke, embers or flames, etc, a warning from a family member, friend or neighbour, or a radio announcement
Ø 72 % of respondents indicated that they expected to receive an official warning (from authorities such as the CFA, police, other emergency services, or ABC Radio) if there was a bushfire in their town or suburb. However, 63 % reported that they did not receive an official warning. (Two thirds of respondents who did receive a warning reported that it arrived in enough time respond safely.)
Ø Contrary to anecdotal reports of insurance levels within fire affected areas, the majority of survey respondents (84%) reported having house and contents insurance. Only 4 % said they had no insurance at all.
Ø An overwhelming 99 % of respondents were aware that 7 February was a day of Total Fire Ban. However, the earlier interviews with residents found there was little connection between awareness and appropriate action.
Ø Respondents recognised temperature, wind and luck as some of the most important factors influencing how their home/property was affected by the fires.
Ø In the 12 months prior to the 7 February bushfires, the CFA ‘Living in the Bush’ workbooks, ABC Radio, CFA Community Meetings, and television emerged as the major sources of information about what to do during a bushfire, and how to prepare households for bushfire.
Ø Respondents consistently indicated they would adopt a similar course of action in a future bushfire attack. (77 % of respondents who left their homes before the fire arrived stated that they would leave again if there was a similar fire, while 78 % of those who stayed to defend their properties declared they would stay and protect their home from a similar fire in the future.)

You can download and view copies of the reports by visiting the following links:

www.cfa.vic.gov.au

www.oesc.vic.gov.au

www.bushfirecrc.com

cfa community meetings - find one near you

The CFA has ramped up its Community Meetings again for the new year. These meetings are well worth going along to. Residents can learn about basic bushfire behaviour, personal safety, house survival and recognition of local bushfire risk. Community Meetings are held throughout the shire in various locations, click here to find one near you.

If you want more in depth information you can attend a local Bushfire Planning Workshop, these facilitated workshops assist residents in developing a bushfire survival plan, click here to find your local Bushfire Planning Workshop.

It’s important to equip yourself with knowledge about bushfire, only then can you make informed decisions about you and your family’s bushfire plan.

multi-agency bushfire briefing sessions

The Yarra Ranges Council, CFA, Victoria Police, Department of Sustainability and Environment and Parks Victoria will be presenting joint fire preparation briefing sessions to inform the community about the actions they are taking to prepare for the coming summer fire-danger season.

All members of the community are invited to attend and will have an opportunity to hear from each organisation and ask questions.

The sessions are designed to inform communities about the work all agencies have undertaken in planning and preparation for this year’s fire season.

Sessions will be held at 7.30pm unless otherwise advised on:
November
25th - Yarra Junction Recreation Reserve
26th - Olinda Community House
December
1st - Upwey High School
3rd - Silvan Fire Station
3rd - Warburton Upper Yarra Arts Centre, Mechanics Hall
8th - Ferny Creek Horticultural Society
8th - Mt Evelyn Community Hall
14th - Healesville Memorial Hall
15th at 7pm - Seville Public Hall
16th - Woori Yallock DSE/CFA meeting room

Meetings will be cancelled on days of Total Fire Ban.

These briefings are not designed to answer residents’ questions about preparing individual properties for the summer season. The CFA is, however, continuing to provide separate Fire Ready Victoria sessions around the region where residents can get information. The local brigades have been very proactive with signage detailing local briefings. If you haven’t been to a local brigade briefing and want to know when one is next on visit this CFA website link.

burning off, how to work out windspeed?

When the new open air burning local law came into effect a new provision was that no burning be undertaken when wind speeds are greater than 15kph.

But how do you tell?

I have found the easiest way is to check the Bureau of Meteorology’s website and look up the Dunn’s Hill weather station (see link) or for those in the southern reaches of the shire it’s worthwhile checking a local weather station located at Hancock’s Daffodil Farm in Menzies Creek (see link).

In Residential Bushland areas (most of the Dandenong Ranges) burning off for fire reduction purposes is allowed only on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays between 8am and 6pm. Fires must be extinguished no later than 6pm.

Other laws that apply to burning off in Residential Bushland, Urban and Rural zones across the Shire include:

No lighting fires on Sundays.
No lighting fires on Smog Alert Days.
No lighting fires on Total Fire Ban Days.
No lighting fires during the Declared Fire Danger Period without a permit.
Burning off is permitted for fuel reduction purposes only.
Never burn when the wind speed is more than 15km/h.
Fires must be supervised at all times by an adult.
Water supply from a hose or a container with at least 10 litres of water must be available at the site of the fire.
A fire must not cause nuisance through excessive smoke outside of a property boundary or create a hazard on a public highway.
Burning wet or green vegetation and other materials which produce excessive smoke is prohibited.

Don’t know if you live in a Residential Bushland, Urban or Rural zone? Then check the maps in the Shire’s guide to the Open Air Burning Local law, visit this link to find out more.

clean up for fire season - free green waste tipping

Residents can now take advantage of free green waste tipping across the Shire of Yarra Ranges. From the 10th October through to the 8th November residents can take their green waste to Coldstream, Healesville, Wesburn and Lysterfield Transfer Stations for no charge.

I encourage residents to take up the offer to make their properties free of fire fuels. Now is the time we should all be making a concerted effort to remove bark, leaves, twigs and dead undergrowth around our properties.

Over the weekend Selby CFA, along with environmentalists and local residents, raked up fire fuels and then burnt them along the weedier edges of the Selby Park. This is a follow on from the work the brigade has done along Nation Road. This project is being considered as a pilot for other appropriate sites in the shire. It is a great example of agencies, environmentalists and residents working together to make communities more fire safe.

Like many Shire reserves, Selby Park contains some very significant flora and high conservation areas, these areas were carefully raked to remove fire fuels without compromising the environmental values of the site. Here myself, the CFA, Shire and local environmental expert, Darcy Duggan, discuss the level of fire fuel required to be cleared to achieve a reduced fire load without compromising the environment.

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It was a great example of agencies working together to achieve a positive outcome for our community.

selby cfa – cleaning up for community

The Selby CFA are being very proactive in the lead up to this year’s fire season. Concentrating in areas where residential properties and bush (reserves and forests) intersect, the brigade has sought permission to conduct burning off activities from the Shire, Parks Victoria and the CFA. I was very happy to support their positive actions.

The Brigade has spent many volunteer hours raking up bark, twigs and dead undergrowth then burning them off to reduce the amount of fire fuel at the residential interface.

Selby CFA cleaning up today on Nation Road where Sherbrooke Forest is on one side of the road, people's houses on the other.

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The brigade is concentrating on Nation Road and Selby Park on the Belgrave Gembrook Road.

It’s a great initiative and once again highlights the commitment of CFA members to their local community – well done Selby CFA!

bushfire forum in belgrave

Yesterday I spoke to a group of community members at a forum on bushfires. I told residents about the Shire's losses in the Black Saturday bushfires, the operation of the MECC (Municipal Emergency Coordination Centre), relief centres and the recovery effort still underway and expected to continue for at least another 12 months.

Around 30 people came to the forum to hear updates on bushfire preparedness.

I talked about the Shire's fire prevention program which last year saw 54,000 properties inspected for fire danger, of those 2000 landowners received clean up notices with only 200 not completing the work. In these cases the shire completed the clearance works with charges forwarded to the landowners for reimbursement.

I went on to talk about the Shire's role in response to the Royal Commission recommendations.

The Royal Commission's recommendation 6.4 deals with the "appropriate provision for relocation during bushfires". The Shire of Yarra Ranges has reviewed the operation of relief centres from the last fire season and is in the process of developing a policy which will include Standard Operating Procedures for relief centres among other things, such as location and provision of amenities.

With regard recommendation 8.7 - Neighbourhood Safer Places (NSP), the shire has a responsibility for recording the locations and inclusion within relevant plans and provide information to residents and tourists. This is something we will certainly be including in our plans and developing a communication strategy for alerting residents and visitors alike to the location of NSPs. I look forward to getting detail of the criteria for NSPs as once these are available the Shire will be able to see what sites may fit the criteria and recommend them for consideration by the CFA.

Since the Black Saturday fires the Shire has been developing and reviewing our Bushfire Season Action Plan 2009/10. The Plan covers a range of issues including the formation of an Integrated Fire Management Planning Committee, land management of roadsides, reserves and private land, community fire education, municipal emergency management planning, preparedness and response and council's own response to high fire risk days and fire events.

I made the point that I hoped all towns no matter how big or small were included in the development of Township Protection Plans, an issue that was clarified later by Colin Brown (CFA Fire Operations Manager for the Dandenong Ranges).

I urged residents to clean up the fire fuels around their properties and spoke about council's decision to allow residents free tipping for four weeks from the 11th October. I also encouraged the community to use their green waste bins in the fire season and burning off now to assist with fire fuel reduction.

I talked about the work of the Olinda community in preparing the community house there for consideration as an NSP and that council had resolved to refer the site to the CFA for their consideration.

Ultimately anything we do for fire preparedness must be about protecting our communities and it must be evidence based. There is no point implementing measures that do not prove to be effective in protecting communities and we must use the protection of communities as the basis for our decisions about how we prepare for the fire season.

I also promoted the Community Emergency Services and Safety Day at Lillydale Lake on the 7th November. The day will be about promoting emergency services, safety and fire preparedness to residents across the Shire.

Colin Brown, Fire Operations Manager for the Dandenong Ranges, spoke about his role in developing Township Protection Plans (TPPs) and the NSP project. Due to Colin's experience and knowledge of Queensland's Local Action Plans he has been tasked with assisting with the development of TPPs. Colin expects TPPs to be released this week and they will be in three parts. Part 1 will consist of a map, containing a legend, with information for what community needs to know to prepare for bushfire. Part 2 is the Action document which deals with the organisation of emergency management once a fire starts. Part 3 contains information about fire prevention and includes the broader information such as the municipal emergency plan, DSE and Parks Victoria fire operations plans.

Colin reported that criteria for NSPs was expected to be released on Monday or Tuesday this week and once available individuals, community groups and councils would be able to nominate areas for consideration as NSPs.

Colin explained the Dandenongs had been split in to 5 distinct regions for the development of TPPs based on an assessment of local hazards and detailed discussions with local brigades. Once NSPs have been confirmed their location will be included in the relevant TPP, along with location of relief centres.

I look forward to seeing more detail on NSPs and TPPs so the shire can start thinking about sites that may fit the NSP criteria. I am also very relieved that all townships in the Dandenongs, big and small, are included in the 5 TPPs across the ranges region.

free tipping for fire fuel coming soon

report from the roundtable - 25 Aug

On Tuesday night I moved a motion to improve green waste disposal in the shire to facilitate broader and easier disposal of fire fuel. The review of the Shire's green waste services came about from a motion I moved back in February, 2009. Last summer residents in the fire danger areas had to cope with massive amounts of fire fuel with few options to get the fuel off their properties. As a result of Tuesday night's motion residents will be able to take up the option of free tipping for green waste for one month. The free tipping will coincide with the government's cleanup week, starting on the 11th October.

240litre green waste bins are a great way to get rid of fire fuel throughout the summer.

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We will also be encouraging residents with small green waste bins to upgrade to the larger bins. I was surprised to learn that many residents who use the green waste service only have small bins, this will provide them with an opportunity to double the capacity at only an additional $15 per year.

The motion was supported unanimously and is a very positive step forward. I think it provides residents with a suite of options to manage fire fuel on their properties. Looking at the data in the report, residents found by far the most successful way to rid their properties of fire fuel was through free tipping arrangements, approved by the Shire earlier this year for the 08/09 fire season.

Those who live in residential bushland or rural areas can also utilise burning off for fire fuel reduction as well as green waste bins and free tipping. I encourage all residents to start now to make sure your property is free of fire fuel. If you want to know what constitutes fire fuel, the CFA has a wealth of information online.

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I urge residents to start cleaning up now, I know I am.