Refuge a ‘death trap’

By Tania Martin
THE Shire of Yarra Ranges has called for the CFA to assess Olinda’s former fire refuge as a Neighbourhood Safer Place (NSP) in the lead-up to the next fire season.
This comes as one councillor labelled the refuge as a ‘death trap’.
Following the release of the Royal Commission’s interim report, the State Government announced the need for NSPs to be developed in towns like Olinda, as a place of last resort.
Prior to its release, the Olinda Fire and Emergency Area Association appealed to the shire on 11 August for the refuge or NSP to be opened.
The former refuge at Olinda’s community house is now ready to open but needs the final tick of approval from the CFA.
Streeton Ward’s Cr Noel Cliff called for the council to suggest the refuge as a possible site.
He said the emergency assembly group had done all the work, including putting together an operating manual.
For years the refuge was run illegally by Cr Cliff and former CFA captain John Faull.
“They have the crew and the people which is something John Faull and I never had – it’s just amazing what they have done,” Cr Cliff said.
Cr Cliff said people living in the hills realised the dangers of the impending fire season and just wanted somewhere to go as the last resort.
He said getting off the mountain in a hurry would just create more chaos.
“In perfect conditions it’s hard enough to get out in a hurry, let alone in the event of smoke and flames,” Cr Cliff said.
Cr Cliff said people who had planned to stay and defend may also realise at the last minute they couldn’t handle it.
“When they smell the smoke and the crackle of the fire comes over that hill they drop their bundle and they clear out,” he said.
Lyster Ward Cr Samantha Dunn said the refuge should be suggested as a possible way forward to finding NSPs in the shire.
“At the moment our biggest concern is that we don’t have the criteria of what an NSP is – it’s really not clear at the moment,” she said.
“If you are a resident in the Dandenong Ranges you really want some clarity to go by and putting this forward could be a trigger to get something happening.”
But Billanook Ward’s Cr Tim Heenan labelled the site a ‘death trap’.
He travelled up to the community house prior to the meeting to take photographs of the scrub and trees that surround the proposed NSP.
Cr Heenan believes the close proximity of the forest would contribute to the death of anyone sheltering in the centre.
But Ryrie Ward Cr Jeanette McRae said it was not the council’s responsibility to decide whether it was a dead trap, it was up to the CFA.
She said the Dandenongs was a forested area which was part of the attraction to residents and visitors and is the reason why there needed to be a place of last resort.