RESIDENTS in Ocean Grove are calling for faster action and more resources to be put into managing the Nature Reserve’s fire risk.
Problems highlighted during the recent Victorian bushfires have re-ignited the debate and renewed calls for action.
According to the town’s Community Association, it approached various authorities about the Nature Reserve back in 2007 and was assured that everything was in hand and that cool burning would take place.
Community Association member Jo Hawthorne said that with the recent bushfires “quite a few people around town were concerned and talking about the Nature Reserve again”.
Among the concerned residents is Bob Potter. Mr Potter contacted the Voice after he says he was passed between agencies and failed to get an answer. He believes the issue needs to be tackled immediately.
“If there is a fire danger then surely that takes precedence over protocols. If something happened next week we are in trouble.
“It there was a fire there tomorrow it’s not being solved by a three-year plan.”
The subject was raised at Wednesday’s (1 March) CFA briefing on planning to avoid bushfires. Details in the next Voice.
Parks Victoria Ranger Stuart Willsher told the Voice that he would be putting a submission to the Department of Sustainability and Environment to make a prescribed burn off program a priority in the next 3-year Fire Operations Plan.
While Mr Willsher agreed that the Reserve posed a risk, he said that a lot of work had already been done to reduce fuel loads on the forest floor and more would be done to ensure future burn offs, carried out by the DSE would be more successful.
One of the problems with previous burns is they have simply cleaned up small debris and have not touched larger materials off the ground.
Last year Parks Victoria employed teams of Conservation Volunteers and Drought Relief workers to physically remove fallen branches which were burned in the paddock between the Reserve and the reservoir. They have also been dropping elevated deadwood to ensure it burns during the next prescribed burn.
Mr Willsher said that the approach is to balance ecological and fire protection measures that protect the rare stretch of native bushland.
While progress had been made in enlarging the southern fire break (adjoining the Woodlands Estate), he is also working to return the dense woodland to how it used to be.
Originally the eastern half of the reserve would have been more open with views of at least 200 metres. By thinning it out, mulching and using other mechanical means, the reserve is already showing signs of a re-emergence of species.
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