Anglesea community discusses its bushfire plan

THE Anglesea community has been urged to be self-sufficient and to have more than one plan about what to do when a natural disaster such as a bushfire breaks out in the town.

The Anglesea Community Network (ACN) hosted last week’s presentation of the Anglesea Fire Plan at the town’s fire station, which drew about 50 people.

Steve Cameron from Emergency Management Victoria (EMV) and Parks Victoria ranger Aaron Ledden led the presentation, which stepped through how people might react as a bushfire drew closer.

“You won’t get all the answers tonight – it’s actually the opposite of that,” Mr Cameron (who is also a member of the Anglesea fire brigade) said.

“The idea is to promote some thinking about what you thought you might be doing in these types of situations and to lend yourself to some different thoughts in how the operations might work, and then how the community can work together in different ways.

“We’re not trying to paint a picture of a really, really bad day, because this could happen on any sunny day.”

For example, Mr Cameron said the congested traffic in Anglesea during summer would affect those who waited to enact their fire plan when they saw smoke.

“If your plan is to leave, and you see that, your plan’s already gone.”

He said Anglesea residents needed to be thinking about fires in Wensleydale and Gherang.

“Situational awareness is key. Staying cool and calm, and keeping an eye on each other, is so important.

“For the first couple of hours, chances are we may be on our own. The road (Great Ocean Road) is probably going to be blocked, that’s a fact; the other local roads are probably going to be blocked; any number of other things could have changed.

“This idea now is about the community starting to understand the situation they’re in, and how we work together with whoever’s here.”

ACN will run the presentation of the Anglesea Fire Plan again in December on a weekend as well for the town’s business community.