Reserve’s fire ready: council

WITH the bushfire season on the horizon, Emerald is abuzz with talk of whether Worrell Reserve will be ready.
But the Cardinia Council has confirmed it’s ready to go, if needed this fire season.
The designated Neighbourhood Safer Place at Worrell Reserve made headlines last year when 50 Monterey Cypress trees were removed to meet requirements of the site.
Cardinia Council’s manager Community, Risk and Emergency Management Myles O’Reilly said the Worrell Reserve Neighbourhood Safer Place – Place of Last Resort was first designated by the CFA in January 2014 following works carried out at the site.
“It was redesignated by the CFA in August 2014,” Mr O’Reilly said.
The project cost has been fully funded through a grant from Victorian Government.
Despite claims by residents that they were told more clearing needed to be done at the site for the NSP to be ready, Mr O’Reilly said, to the council’s knowledge, there was no further clearing needed at the site and he was not aware of any public meeting which discussed the Worrell Reserve NSP.