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Agriculture Environment and Water | August 22, 2016

Kealy urges local submissions on fire season preparedness

The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy MP is calling for locals to share their views and provide a submission to the Victorian Parliament’s Environment and Planning Committee’s inquiry into fire season preparedness.

Responding to strong community interest, the committee extended the submission deadline and continue to receive and consider late submissions.

“Local people still have an opportunity to make their communities safer by submitting feedback to this inquiry. With late submissions being accepted I continue to urge local people to share their views,” Ms Kealy said.

“Western Victoria is very fire prone due to our expansive National and State Park areas, and extensive scrub and farm land. It is important the Committee has the opportunity to hear from people in western Victoria including CFA volunteers, farmers, local councils and residents in high risk areas so that any recommendations arising from the Inquiry take our local needs into account,” she said.

The inquiry will examine the level of preparation and planning that is undertaken for fire seasons, focusing on the work of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), and agencies including Parks Victoria.

“Preventative burning is one of the key issues being considered and the committee will examine how it is done, how effective it is in keeping the community safe, and what impacts it has on vegetation and threatened species,” Ms Kealy said.

“Western Victoria is an extremely fire prone area and unfortunately many residents in the Lowan electorate experienced the horror of local bushfires.

“The issues discussed in this inquiry will be significant to our local regional and rural communities who face the threat of bushfire every year and I encourage those who may be affected to make a submission,” she said.

For information on how to make submissions visit: www.parliament.vic.gov.au/epc/inquiry/437