Vol. No. Vol. 2718No. 3027
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Wednesday, 2016 Wednesday, January February13, 5, 2025
Under fire
BY LAUREN HENRY
M
ember for Lowan Emma Kealy has put the blowtorch on the State Government’s inaction to provide funding support to fire-affected businesses and residents across the region.
In Parliament yesterday, Ms Kealy questioned the government on business support and called for an inquiry into preparedness and recovery. Ms Kealy asked in light of the government announcing an inquiry into landslides at McRae on the Mornington Peninsula, when would Premier Jacinta Allan establish an inquiry into the Grampians fire. She pointed out a lack of fuel reduction to levels recommended in the Royal Commission into Black Saturday fires; failure to have a complete fire-fighting air-fleet in place for the fire season; and failure to support businesses to assist community recovery. The political debate came as hundreds of firefighters continue to battle
unprecedented fires in the Grampians National Park and Little Desert National Park. A heatwave punctuated by daily thunderstorms on Sunday and Monday had heightened fire conditions for firefighters. However rain had been sparing, with less than 10 millimetres across most of the region. The Grampians fires are expected to burn for weeks, and are threatening several surrounding communities, depending on wind direction. There are two major bushfires – the Bullawin fire in the Victoria Valley along the west of the Grampians National Park is threatening Big Cord, Mirranatwa, Strachans, Victoria Point and Victoria Valley to the east, and Cavendish, Mona Park, Mooralla, Rocklands and Woohlpooer in the west. The Bullawin fire has joined with the fire ground from the Yarram Gap fire, which started on December 17 and was brought under control last month. The Henty Highway is closed due to
the Bullawin fire, as are many other roads across the region – either due to fire damage or threat, or to allow emergency services vehicles easy access. Police – both local and from the Public Order Response Team and other divisions – have also increased their presence in the fire-affected communities to man traffic management points and assist fire services. The Wallaby Rocks fire in the north of the national park is threatening the Zumsteins, Brimpaen and Wartook communities. Firefighters have put in containment lines in the past week, in an attempt to stop the fires from spreading into surrounding communities. Forest Fire Management Victoria chief fire officer Chris Hardman said firefighters were working ‘incredibly hard’ to contain the fires that had jumped out of the park, using bulldozers, heavy equipment and aviation assets. Mr Hardman said more than 600 fire fighters were battling the Grampians
fire, with a strong focus on asset protection. “They will be there for some time to come,” he said. “If you’re in those areas, it’s really important to know it’s a long way from over. “It’s really important the communities stay aware and focused on what’s happening in their local areas. “It’s been a very long season and we are still very much at the beginning of that season. “We can expect this fire season to go through toward the end of February and even into March.”
Little Desert
The Little Desert National Park fire is not yet under control, and changed from moving in a south-westerly direction to a north-easterly direction towards Lillimur South yesterday afternoon. However with a wind change expected yesterday afternoon, the fire was expected to push north-north easterly.
After starting on January 27 and threatening Dimboola and neighbouring communities early last week, Horsham’s Incident Control Centre announced on Saturday the fire was contained. However the fire jumped containment lines to the south of the national park on Sunday, threatening the communities of Goroke, Minimay, Morea, Peronne, Neuarpurr, Kaniva, and Lillimur. Crews remain on site to build containment lines, suppress fire activity and black out hot spots. There was a community meeting in Goroke last night to update residents about the fire, which has now burnt more than 90,500 hectares. Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent said a New South Wales fire command vehicle was destroyed by fire in the Little Desert on Monday. “Thankfully, the firefighters through them managed to escape the vehicle before it was fully engulfed,” he said. Continued page 3
IN THIS ISSUE • Bushfire recovery • Health and Wellness feature • Grampians senior cricket to disband Phone: 03 5382 1351 Read it online: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au
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