Nillumbik Shire Council is seeking public comment on its draft Bushfire Mitigation Strategy, which defines how it will prepare for and respond to bushfire emergencies.
The draft paper addresses the Shire’s vulnerability to bushfire and how the risks should be managed and mitigated. It specifically addresses how Council meets its bushfire mitigation responsibilities.
The Council initiated the strategy following a workshop attended by Nillumbik councillors, council officers, residents of high-bushfire risk areas and members of fire services.
Nillumbik Mayor Peter Clarke said the draft strategy recognised the risks of maintaining liveability in an area highly prone to major bushfires.
“Black Saturday, with its devastating loss of life, homes and property, demonstrated that we must be prepared to mitigate the risk of fire as much as possible,” Cr Clarke said.
The draft paper outlines seven strategic controls to guide the Shire’s bushfire mitigation strategy. These controls demonstrate how the Council would:
- partner with the community to build resilience
- partner with other agencies before, during and after emergencies
- advocate at federal and state levels to address the risk of bushfire
- discharge its duties of enforcement of state and local laws in a way that was responsive to community needs
- ensure that it had the resilience to withstand sudden shocks and deliver relief and recovery services
- ensure that safe work processes were in place to protect staff and that assets were managed and maintained to standards that considered bushfire risk, and
- manage land and infrastructure to reduce the likelihood of bushfires occurring.
The draft strategy is open for public comment until Wednesday, September 12, and is at https://participate.nillumbik.vic.gov.au
