Trees should go for refuge

By Tania Martin
THE Shire of Yarra Ranges is calling for the CFA to outline improvements needed to open the Olinda Community House up as a Neighbourhood Safer Place (NSP) this fire season.
Streeton Ward councillor Noel Cliff tabled the issue at a council meeting on Tuesday 24 November and sais there would be little opposition chopping down many trees to make the refuge safe.
He said more than six years ago the community got together to campaign for shutters and after vigorous debate the house was changed from refuge to an assembly area.
“The only thing that has changed since then is the trees on the eastern side have grown taller, the parking is the same, the building is the same,” he said.
“All that’s different is the trees are bigger and the State Government has brought in new rules that we have to have 140 metres cleared timber around the building.”
Cr Cliff said there needs to be something for people who get caught out this summer.
He said it was physically impossible to get everyone off the mountain in the case of a fire.
Cr Cliff reminded the council that in 1997 the fires only took seven-and-a-half minutes to roar up the side of the mountain from The Basin to Ferny Creek, costing three people’s lives.
“There was no way they knew that was going to happen,” he said.
Cr Cliff said although the message then was similar, to stay and defend or go, people still don’t go.
He believes it would continue to be the same.
“People don’t go – they stay behind thinking they can face the possibility of a fire until such a time that it comes over the fence, they hear the crackling of the fire, see the smoke and when they start to see the flames they panic and run for it,” Cr Cliff said.
“By that stage the roads are no good because its chaos out there and you don’t want them flying off the mountain.”
Cr Cliff said those people who get caught short need somewhere to go.
“You don’t want them doing the panic run,” he said.
“They need somewhere to go those people that get caught short – people get caught short and we need a place.”
Cr Cliff said the CFA needs to tell the council what needs to be done to make the community house a safer option than fleeing off the mountain in the middle of a bush fire.
“They need to say what is acceptable,” he said.
Cr Cliff said if chopping down the trees to create the 140 metre buffer was all it would take, then not many people would be protesting.
“A hell of a lot of trees are going to have to come down and I don’t think you are going to see the slightest bit of a rumble about that at long last people realise there is a difference if you want to live and there is a tree in the way the tree has to go,” he said.
Lyster Ward’s Cr Samantha Dunn urged residents to be sensible and remember these places are a last resort not a refuge from a fire storm.
“Summer is nearly on us and we have to have that place prepared…it could be a template for other NSPs throughout the shire,” Cr Cliff said.