Call to reduce wood loads in reserve

RESIDENTS from Inverleigh and Teesdale are petitioning to allow for levels of deadwood to be reduced in a nearby reserve.

Forest Fire Management Victoria, the firefighters for the state’s parks, encouraged residents to contact them about fuel management.

More than 1700 people have shown support for a proposal to clear fallen trees and branches from the Inverleigh Flora and Fauna Reserve.

Inverleigh’s Rachel Anderson and Stan Nangle from Teesdale began work in January over a proposal for residents to be able to remove wood during scheduled, monitored periods.

A petition addressed to Parks Victoria asked for safe and organised clean-up activities to reduce the potential for fire outbreaks, the implementation of fire mitigation strategies, and to collaborate with local authorities, fire management experts and the communities to develop a comprehensive safety plan.

They are concerned about the accumulation of deadwood being potential fuel for fire.

“During summer you get a notification from the Vic Emergency app and it’s like, where is [the fire]?” Nangle said. “It’s really nerve-racking for people.

“It’s all pieces of timber or trees that have fallen down. We’re not trying to cut any trees down and we’re not trying to decimate any of the fauna.”

Nangle said he started voicing his concerns online because he got angry looking at the reserve every time he drove through it.

The pair have presented their petition to Golden Plains Shire and were hoping to meet with Parks Victoria on their proposal.

Scott Turner, Forest Fire Management Victoria’s deputy chief fire officer for Barwon South West, said his organisation appreciated the reserve was a cherished part of Inverleigh.

“We welcome and encourage members of the community to talk to us about the timing and scheduling of fuel management via our Joint Fuel Management Program,” he said. “This is a program that we run jointly with CFA.

“Forest Fire Management Victoria crews use every opportunity possible to reduce the risk and impact of bushfires through planned burning and non-burn works such as mulching, mowing, spraying, constructing fuel breaks and maintaining road access for firefighting.”

Turner said reducing bushfire risk occurred throughout the year.

145 hectares was targeted for mulching from 2021 to 2025 to help manage hedge wattle, improve forest health and increasing fire protection for nearby residents.

There is also annual slashing of the perimeter along Commons Road, Link Track, Fire Management Track and Eastern Track.

The Joint Fuel Management Program involved an annual review of bushfire risk and determines effective locations across the landscape for the delivery of planned burns.

It is not legal to collect firewood from the reserve.

Member for Eureka Michaela Settle said: “My priority is always the safety of the local community and I encourage locals to share their concerns with our local forest fire teams to help inform bushfire management practices.

“Our dedicated Forest Fire Management Victoria crews are always looking for opportunities to do planned burning and other bushfire management work in the Inverleigh Flora and Fauna reserve.”