Vol. 28 No. 41
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Post-fire hearing I
BY BRONWYN HASTINGS
nformation shared by people affected by January’s Grass Flat fire at a public hearing at Quantong today will inform the parliamentary inquiry into the 2026 summer fires.
Representatives from Horsham Rural City Council, Country Fire Authority, West Wimmera Health Service, Natimuk and District Gymnastic Club, and West Wimmera Action Group have made submissions and will speak from noon. Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee will host its first round of hearings in Colac, Quantong and Alexandra this week, followed by Harcourt next week. The inquiry will examine bushfire causes, their impact on communities, business and the environment – including native wildlife – and the resourcing and funding of emergency services agencies. It will also consider preparation and planning, including management of fuel loads, and the management of public and private land and roadsides. Seven-decade CFA volunteer Ivan Smith has made a submission, outlining issues including preventative strategies, the use of private units, and property protection education. In his submission, he said the government should consider the subsidisation of private units, and wrote the financial cost to the government of doing more fire prevention work would be nowhere near the cost of fighting fires. “I believe the government needs to seriously consider subsidising the use of private equipment, which provides valuable assistance during bushfires,” he wrote. “Private equipment must be allowed to help and assist the CFA, working with them and under their direction. “There is ample recent evidence of the work that private units were able to do in the Grass Flat-Natimuk fires in the Wim-
mera in January 2026. Clearly, private equipment would need to be of a certain standard to be subsidised but this would enable more fire units to be available at the fire scene more quickly. “I would suggest subsidising private units at a quarter or a third of total costs of units. “Private units are also very valuable in protecting private structures such as homes, out-buildings, sheds etc. “This provides tremendous assistance to CFA tankers as they then have a much better chance to concentrate on the main fire. “I have experienced this assistance many times in the past.” Member for Lowan Emma Kealy said the event provided a valuable opportunity for people to offer their unique experiences and feedback. “We’ve had a number of bushfires in our region, and it’s really important that our people get to have their say, and they’ll be able to do so at Quantong,” she said. “There’s certainly a focus to make sure the events that have taken place, whether it’s the Little Desert, Natimuk, Quantong, or the Grampians, or other fires around the region, that we can learn how to manage our bushland and our fuels better. “We also need to ensure our CFA is well supported and recognise and plan for the fact there are more and more private appliances helping us to manage fires.” Committee chair Ryan Batchelor said the committee also had visits planned to the Natimuk, Gellibrand and Longwood firegrounds. People who wanted to directly address the MPs on the committee have registered to speak at open-mic sessions, which will be from 3pm. The Grass Flat fire hearing will be at Quantong Community Recreation Facility. People can also view a livestream of the inquiry hearings at www.parliament.vic. gov.au/summerfires-hearings. The inquiry committee is due to provide a report to Parliament by June 1.
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
LIVING MEMORY: Brim’s Valda Hunter, pictured, was presented with her father-in-law’s war history when she stepped down as Brim Anzac Committee’s chair after 16 years in the role. Vicechair Colleen McPherson researched Jack Hunter’s service, along with that of Brim nurse Glad Moreton, ensuring their contributions were remembered. The pair’s respective uniforms will be displayed during the town’s Anzac Day service on Saturday. Story, and the region’s service times, page 21. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER.
IN THIS ISSUE • Farmers officially cautioned • Town Hall investigation continues • Wimmera hockey to hit-off Phone: 03 5382 1351 Read it online: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au
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