samantha in the press - 10/50

Clearing rule widens
Leader Newspapers
by Kimberley Seedy
3 Jan 2012

samantha in the press - planning

Dunn deals with email
Yarra Ranges Weekly
29 Nov 2011

Debate over new tree-chopping rules
Leader Newspapers
by Kimberley Seedy
30 Nov 2011

clearing concerns top the talk

The new vegetation controls were the talk of the town at this month's Kallista market (on Saturday). Many residents expressed their concern to me about the new '10/30 right' vegetation controls. Their greatest concern that the environment they value and love now has the potential be decimated under the new 10/30 rights.

The one size fits all is not a good approach to vegetation management. The Shire of Yarra Ranges has enjoyed strong vegetation controls with protections enshrined in the Planning and Environment Act. That is up until last week when the Brumby government decided to amend the Upper Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges Regional Strategy Plan which saw an end to our vegetation controls which the community has fought long and hard for.

Cleaning up fine fire fuels is the best way to make your property safer and that includes regular gutter cleaning and sometimes roof sweeping too.

Now we find that our iconic landscapes are under threat from ill informed laws that will not protect our communities from the threat of bushfire.






This measure will not make all houses safer. The science is clear, trees around your house reduce both wind speed and ember attack - two of the most important factors in house survivability, and this is reiterated on the CFA website in information around fire preparedness. This was further reiterated in testimony by one of the CSIRO's bushfire experts, Justin Leonard to the Royal Commission hearings.

We are fortunate to live in a unique environment, some areas are of state significance, Yarra Ranges requires a far more sophisticated approach to vegetation management if we are protect our scenic values and biodiversity. Imagine if landowners actually applied the 10/30 rights, we would see wholesale change in our environment whilst exacerbating the risk of landslip and erosion.

A new group, Living with the bush, has been launched in response to the 10/30 rights. Living with the Bush says “Improving community safety in the face of increasing risk from bushfires is not a choice between human welfare and environmental integrity. This is a false choice and if pursued will result in giving people a false sense of security while ignoring other more important safety measures."

If you are one of the many residents concerned about the new 10/30 rights, and I know a lot of you are from the amount of conversations I have already had about this issue, I recommend you visit to the Living with the Bush website.

I'm told that their membership is nearing 200 already, this is clearly an issue of grave concern to the community.

an unintended consequence for the dandenongs

Today the Premier announced the introduction of new planning provisions for the clearing of native vegetation for bushfire protection. The Shire of Yarra Ranges is one of the municipalities affected by the proposed changes, which are yet to be enacted.

The measures include:
- The introduction of the 10/30 right. This will enable residents to clear all vegetation within 10 metres of a building used for accommodation for bushfire protection and any vegetation (except for trees) to be cleared within an additional 20 metres.
- Changes to fence line clearing provisions. This will enable residents to clear all vegetation along boundary fence lines of their property to a maximum combined width of 4 metres.

But will the 10/30 right protect our communities against bushfire?

By reacting to Black Saturday bushfires and pre-empting the Royal Commission’s recommendations in relation to vegetation the Premier puts at risk people in the Dandenongs with the unintended consequence of landslip. Much of the land in the Dandenongs is classified as a land slip zone (erosion management overlay), the shire’s practice notes are explicit in the importance of retaining natural vegetation wherever possible to avoid landslip.

The CFA recommends that a protective shield of trees be planted around the house to slow the wind, cut down radiant heat and catch flying embers.

In some parts of the Dandenongs where the allotments are relatively small (1/2 acre), if residents took up this option, there would not be one scrap of vegetation left. This could have serious consequences in managing landslip and erosion, let alone erode the natural assets and values we all enjoy as residents in this unique environment.

The CFA is explicit in its definition of fire fuels: dead undergrowth, fallen branches, woodpiles, leaves in gutters, long dry grass, fallen leaves and twigs, Anything smaller in diameter than your little finger is a fine fuel and it is these that you need to clean up around your property to protect against bushfire attack. I can understand residents nervousness as we approach this fire season but we must concentrate on clearing our properties of fire fuels and not accept a blanket, indiscriminate approach to vegetation removal.

In notes released to support 10/30 rights the government makes reference to landslip and recommends that residents consider pruning their trees rather than remove them, however if the government was genuine about addressing the risk of landslip, vegetation in landslip areas should not be part of the 10/30 right.

The government is under pressure to act but it must make sure that community safety is paramount. The question I have is will the 10/30 right achieve this?