By MELISSA MEEHAN
IF A FEW flower festivals affect traffic this much… what will it be like during a bushfire?
That’s the message the Olinda CFA wants people to think about in the lead-up to the bushfire season.
Last weekend’s Hanami Day at the National Rhododendron Gardens coupled with the popular Tesselaar’s Tulip Festival left visitors to the region and residents alike feeling frustrated and trapped as it took over an hour to cross the mountain.
Olinda CFA Community Safety Coordinator Elissa Jans said the traffic gridlock sent the area into chaos with over 16,000 people attending the Cherry Blossom Day – the biggest attendance ever.
“It was bumper to bumper all the way from Burwood Highway up to Olinda and also down the other side on Olinda – Monbulk Road,” Ms Jans said.
“Now imagine if there is a bushfire on the mountain and you are all trying to get off the mountain at once – what a disaster it would be.”
Ms Jans said it was a perfect example of why residents should have a fire plan, and leave early on days of extreme fire risk.
“Add the smoke, making it almost impossible to see, thousands more cars, trailers, boats, horse floats, buses and trucks and you really have no hope of escaping,” she said.
“If you are leaving, give yourself plenty of time, even leave the night before.”
Ms Jans said she spoke to the Rhododendron Gardens on Monday, who said they were pleasantly surprised by the record crowd.
“Last year they only had 4000, so to have so many people come to the area – it’s great for them and Olinda,” she said.
“But without better planning, in case of a fire it could be a disaster here.
“We couldn’t even respond to a house fire on the weekend if there were to be one, we couldn’t get out of the station – let alone get anywhere on the mountain.”
The OIinda CFA are more than happy to help residents put together their fire plan and invite people who would like some assistance to visit the brigade on any Sunday morning from 10am and 1pm, or Wednesday evenings from 7pm onwards.
Contact Ms Jans, or Olinda CFA captain Steve on 9751 1273.
