Are you ready for the fire season?
Published on 16 November 2021
In a year when you wouldn’t be blamed for feeling overwhelmed by the idea of another natural disaster - it is important we start to think about bushfires, our properties and what we need to do to prepare.
If your grass is overgrown, your gutters are filled with leaf litter and tree branches are strewn around your home – it is time to do some maintenance and fuel reduction work.
We understand it has been an incredibly difficult year to maintain your property and recent wild weather has not helped as many more trees and branches have fallen, creating additional hazards.
Shire owned and managed land has also been significantly affected by storms and we are making a concerted effort to ensure these areas safe and cleared of debris as soon as possible.
Our teams including subcontractors and emergency services are working together on the clean-up. Our priority has been to ensure houses and roads are safe, followed by footpaths, roadsides, parks and reserves. We are estimating clean-up work will take 6-8 weeks to complete.
There is no doubt though, as summer approaches we will have hotter and drier conditions, making the task of clearing debris and fire hazards more urgent.
The good news is restrictions have eased making it possible to do necessary fire prevention works, employ contractors to assist with these works and our resource recovery centres (tips) are open.
What you can do:
- keep grass short
- clear gutters of leaf litter
- remove woodpiles and other flammable items from around your home
- cut back overhanging branches and prune shrubs
- remove fallen and dry vegetation, including leaves, bark and twigs.
If you need help with the maintenance of your property see our contactor list at mornpen.vic.gov.au/fpn
An additional free green waste weekend has been added on 3-5 December for those needing to clear vegetation. For more information visit mornpen.vic.gov.au/greenwaste
The CFA website has useful resources to assist you in preparing your property for a bushfire: cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare
Quotes attributable to Mayor, Despi O’Connor:
“It has certainly been a year of overcoming challenges, with earthquakes and extreme weather added to our list of experiences. And although understandably many people are feeling exhausted - we must turn our mind to the upcoming bushfire season.
“Many have already started preparing themselves and their properties, but I’d like to remind those that haven’t had the opportunity - this task is more urgent now as we dash towards summer.
“Fuel reduction and clearing of weeds and vegetation on our properties and around our homes is an important part of being ready for fire.
“Shire teams and subcontractors are working tirelessly on the clean-up of public land which is set to continue over the coming weeks to ensure our reserves, roadsides and parks are safe.
“We look forward to working with the local community to ensure we are all safe and well prepared for the upcoming fire season.”