Fire safety boost

THE Shire of Yarra Ranges has announced that Kalorama will receive a new 23,000litre firefighting water tank as part of the launch of its operation Fire Safe campaign.
Shire chief executive officer Rob Hauser, Country Fire Authority area manager Trevor White and district police inspector Mick Beattie last week launched the campaign.
The campaign aims to help keep residents safe during the fire season.
Mr Hauser said the Dandenongs were considered to be one of the most fireprone regions in the world and that many parts of the municipality were especially vulnerable to bush fires.
Mr Hauser last week announced that by the end of December there would be two new 23,000litre water tanks installed in Kalorama and Powelltown, along with fire access tracks, roadside slashing works, and fire inspections of more 56,000 properties.
“Early predictions are for a particularly dry and hot summer and it is imperative that all agencies are fully prepared,” Mr Hauser said.
He said the shire, in partnership with the CFA, Victoria Police and other government agencies, was doing its bit to make sure that residents and visitors to the area were safe this summer.
Insp Beattie said the quality of emergency management between all agencies and the shire had improved in value in the last few years.
“Our management systems and operations are getting more robust and interconnected,” he said.
“However, our ability to achieve maximum positive impact during a wildfire emergency will partly be influenced by how the affected population responds under pressure.”
Mr White said the CFA was working closely with the shire, the Department of Sustainability and Environment, Parks Victoria, and Victoria Police in preparation of the upcoming fire season.
Mr White said all these agencies went to a lot of effort to ensure that residents of the Dandenongs were well informed about fire risks, but that everyone should take action to make their properties safe.