Tag Archives: bushfire risk

Clean up and clear out

WARRANDYTE RESIDENTS are being urged to start their fire preparation early and identify hazards on their properties to minimise fire risk this season.

Victoria has experienced a dry winter and it is likely to remain dry and warm for the next three months, this means we could see a very early fire season.

Council encourages residents to prepare for the upcoming fire season, using spring as a great time to start preparations.

“It is vital that all residents living within bushfire prone areas have an emergency plan in place — residents can find more information about developing their plan on Council’s website,” said Manningham Mayor, Cr Michelle Kleinert.

Captain of Warrandyte CFA Adrian Mullens said because Warrandyte has not experienced a bad bushfire for several years many residents are getting complacent.

“Warrandyte and North Warrandyte are up there in terms of fire risk, we have just been lucky on I don’t know how many occasions… if the 2014 fire in Flannary Court had got over Tindalls road, Warrandyte would be gone,” he told the Diary.

Both Manningham and Nillumbik councils are providing vouchers to allow residents to dispose of green waste in the lead up to summer.

Nillumbik Shire Mayor Cr Peter Clarke said Council is preparing for the fire season with bushfire mitigation plans underway, this includes roadside clearing and mowing, tree management and native vegetation clearing.

“Residents can help reduce the impact of fire and storm damage by conducting regular maintenance of their property, including clearing long grass, timber and wood stores, gutters and drains,” Cr Clarke said.

“We have also introduced green waste vouchers, giving residents the flexibility to recycle garden materials and vegetation at the Recycling and Recovery Centre in Plenty at a convenient time throughout the year.”

The new Nillumbik green waste vouchers are for one cubic metre of domestic green waste like prunings, garden clippings, leaves or grass or one level 6 x 4m sized trailer load or less — loads larger than this will require two vouchers.

Cr Kleinert says garden waste vouchers are now available for Manningham residents, free of charge and can be used from September through to the end of November.

“Clearing and removing excess vegetation from properties is an important part of reducing bushfire risk, she said.

Vouchers for four standard trailer loads can be redeemed on Sundays between 9.00 am and 3.00 pm at Manningham’s Garden Waste Recycle Centre on the corner of Blackburn and Websters Road, Templestowe.

For branches and prunings, Manningham residents also have the option of exchanging one hard rubbish collection for a bundled green waste collection.

The State government are urging residents to check their insurance policies to ensure they are sufficiently covered for emergencies such as bushfire and storm.

Be Ready Warrandyte will be holding a seminar on October 26 to discuss fire-safe building materials following a report from the Great Ocean Road fire in 2015 as well as insurance and the CFA’s Leave Early message — more information in the October Diary.

Visit insureit.vic.gov.au for information about the ‘Insure It.It’s worth It’ campaign.

Visit the CFA website for more ideas and information to help prepare and protect yourself and your property this bushfire season.

Council green waste visit manningham.vic.gov.au or nillumbik.vic.gov.au/greenwastevouchers

Winter is the time to clean up Warrandyte

The Warrandyte Community Association has teamed up with the CFA, SES, Nillumbik and Manningham councils and Red Cross in urging Warrandytians to use the cooler winter months to maintain their properties in order to stay safe in case of fire, floods and storms.

“In the past, preparedness messages have been broadcast just before the anticipated bushfire season, not leaving too much time before fire restrictions kick in,” said Dick Davies, president of the Warrandyte Community Association.

North Warrandyte CFA captain Mick Keating admits he was one of the residents caught out last year when the re restrictions came into force in October, causing a mad scramble to get his property cleaned up ahead of the fire danger.

“Start cleaning up now for next year’s summer, rather than wait – because if it does come out early again you can get caught out very quickly,” Captain Keating said.

CFA community safety manager Tammy Garrett said this was the ideal time to get properties prepared, saying: “If you do it bit by bit, an hour on this weekend and an hour on that weekend, it doesn’t take as much as it would if you try and do it all at once.” Manningham City Council emergency management officer Helen Napier said while the focus for Warrandyte was generally about preparing for bushfire, the impact of floods and storms could be just as devastating.

“I think that sometimes people forget about the other hazards, and there is still the potential in some areas for that to impact just as much – the consequences are similar, you can be displaced, you might not have a home to live in, so the ow on effects can be the same as a bush fire,” she said.

SES community education officer Sue Whitten says there are things that can be done to mitigate the risks.

“Cleaning out the gutters and ensuring things like overhanging branches are checked regularly, making sure anything on your property is tied down… making sure that drains are kept clean, that any debris that comes down from the storm doesn’t end up in the drains and cause backlog and then potential for flooding,” said Ms Whitten.

Emergency management officer for Nillumbik council, Justin Murray, suggests it’s not just a clean-up that needs to be considered, but planning your garden to minimise risk is important when planting around your house.

“If people are designing gardens or making changes, have consideration to what that would look like, not only now in the short term, but also in the long term with regards to how vegetation develops and grows and also to consider what sort of vegetation they are putting in especially close to their dwellings,” Mr Murray said.

To get rid of green waste, residents have a number of options, either take green waste to council collection facilities, or larger properties, over 0.4ha, are able to burn off outside the fire restriction period, however smaller properties must obtain a permit from their local council.

Justin Murray said smaller blocks in Nillumbik were only permitted to burn off from October, so another option open to those residents is to pay for a second green bin.

“If one bin isn’t sufficient for you then the option is to have an additional one; so phone council to arrange that,” he said.

“There is no charge for the additional collection, but there is a small charge for the provision of the bin.”