Fire fears from fuel build-up

BLIND Bight residents say they are living in fear because their town is a ticking fire bomb.
The residents are most worried about the restrictions in place that forbid clearing or burning the dense bushy area to reduce the fire threat.
About 150 residents, some furious, packed the Blind Bight Community Centre on Monday night to voice their vexations at their “helpless” situation in the coastal villages.
Secretary of the Blind Bight Foreshore Advisory Committee, Bob Wray, said council promised to burn areas of the Blind Bight foreshore about a year ago to clean up the area. This was never done, but the council said the weather conditions were not ideal for burning at the time.
“It is overwhelming the amount of people who are actually frightened,” Mr Wray said.
There are strict environmental controls in the coastal villages that require a permit for the removal of any vegetation, including dead vegetation because of the ‘environmental significance overlay’ throughout the coastal village area.
“But homes and lives come first. There are miles of dead shrub and its’ a fire bomb waiting to go off.”
Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) acting manager of environmental planning Cindy Wood said the City of Casey was responsible for managing the land on the foreshore, and DSE had received no application to remove native vegetation.
The issue was brought up as a matter of urgent business at a council meeting on Tuesday night.
A report will come back to council about the development of a fire safety plan for the coastal villages.
– Bridget Brady