2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission - Interim Report

Hi all,

You can find a the Interim report via this link.

http://www.royalcommission.vic.gov.au/Interim-Report

Everyone should read this!!!

Disappointing that there's nothing re: fuel reduction. I heard this morning on the radio that fuel reduction will not be addressed until the release of the next report due July 2010 - a bit late for the forthcoming fire season

A girlfriend at work, who was building a home in Kinglake at the time (her house was saved) said that the Greenies were up there protesting yesterday - I can only assume it was timed for the release of the Interim Report.

I'm happy that they are bringing back the community sirens for those communities who wish to have it - I grew up in Wonga Park which was quite rural way back then, and everyone could hear the siren for miles around. You knew that if you heard the siren go off at any other time than on a Sunday morning (drills) that something was going on and you were more aware and alert because of it.

Overall though, the recommendations look positive.

I still think we need to dissolve some of that red tape and get into doing more extensive fuel reductions!! But with the weather the past 4 weeks it has been near impossible.

Hopefully these first steps can see a reduction in the loss of property and life in the upcoming season. There will be fires, but how bad is to be seen.

Interesting list of places at risk this season...
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/18/2659247.htm .

Victorian towns most at risk in upcoming fire season:
* 1. Aireys Inlet (Aireys Inlet/Moggs Creek/Fairhaven/Big Hill)
* 2. Andersons Inlet (Inverloch, Venus Bay, Waratah Bay, Walkerville)
* 3. Anglesea
* 4. Barongarook
* 5. Barwon Downs
* 6. Bemm River
* 7. Bendigo
* 8. Blackwood
* 9. Blairgowrie
* 10. Bolwarra
* 11. Breamlea
* 12. Cann River
* 13. Carlisle River
* 14. Castlemaine
* 15. Cockatoo
* 16. Creswick
* 17. Dandenong Ranges
* 18. Daylesford
* 19. Deans Marsh (Bambra/Pennyroyal)
* 20. Dereel
* 21. Dunkeld
* 22. Eaglehawk
* 23. Forrest
* 24. Gembrook
* 25. Greendale
* 26. Halls Gap
* 27. Hepburn
* 28. Jan Juc (Jan Juc/Bellbrae)
* 29. Junortoun
* 30. Kangaroo Flat
* 31. Kawaren
* 32. Lavers Hill
* 33. Loch Sport
* 34. Lorne
* 35. Macedon
* 36. Maiden Gully
* 37. Mallacoota
* 38. Marengo
* 39. Mt Helen/Mt Clear
* 40. Mt Macedon
* 41. Nelson
* 42. Noojee
* 43. Peterborough
* 44. Rye/St Andrews
* 45. Sandy Point
* 46. St Arnaud
* 47. Steiglitz
* 48. Trentham
* 49. Upper Beaconsfield
* 50. Warrandyte/North
* 51. Warrandyte
* 52. Woodend and Wye River (Wye River/Kennett River/Separation Creek)

To me, that list is actually very 'uninteresting'.

Seems like they went to a lot of effort analysing factors such as fuel load, dryness of the forest, climate factors, population factors etc. to come up with a list of towns that we already know are at highest risk of bushfire (i.e every year), basically because they have burned before and are heavily forested areas with scattered residential development as well as population centres nearby.

IMO, publishing that list of towns in the media is a bit of a pointless exercise.