Committee for Lorne: A word from the Chairman

On Monday last, I flicked on the television for the Today Show 7am news and was intrigued to watch the dense smoke haze that had descended onto Sydney’s CBD as a result of the fuel reduction burning in the Blue Mountains and beyond, with parts of the city’s west reportedly reaching dangerous levels of air quality. Sydneysiders woke to the acrid odour of burning and travelled through hazy streets on the way to work.

It was strong reinforcement that the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) is also committed to major fuel reduction burns even when a major capital city such as Sydney is affected. The impact has been immense, and their burns are forecast to continue
through most of the week. The message that was being delivered was to “stay out of the smoke as much as you can, so head to shops, offices or home and those people with asthma should follow their asthma plan”.

Why, may you ask, is this relevant to my column? Simple, really. If the greater city of Sydney can be inconvenienced, I think we are doing pretty well here in Lorne when recent fuel reduction burns have had minimal impact and more importantly, we have a considerate Forest Fire Management Victoria who are prepared to communicate with us as they endeavor to deliver the best possible outcomes for all involved.

The last half of April gave us an event that I’m told hadn’t occurred since 2014 and won’t happen again until 2025 – that is
Good Friday falling within a week of Anzac Day. Two of the most solemn holidays in Australian life have combined to spark joy for many as the rare collision of the two weekends scattered just three business days between them. As a result, many
employees arranged to take an extra three annual leave days, no “sickies” of course, to provide a full 10-day vacation.

The extended break has certainly been great for the coast and on the back of the great weather pattern (albeit a couple of chilly days), mountainous swell and activities galore, it was the perfect bookend to what has been seen by most as one of the best seasonal periods in the tourism sector for many years – bring on 2025!

Not often in local footy and netball do you have the opportunity to play an away game “under escort” for transport. Well it certainly happened last Saturday when the locals ventured to South Colac amid the annual staging of the Great Ocean Otway cycling Classic. Locals left Lorne via the Erskine Falls Road and accessed the Mount Sabine Road to the Benwerrin intersection with the Deans Road where escorts were waiting on the hour to guide the locals through the masses of lycra-clad men and women – Never a dull moment in Lorne!

Ian Stewart
Chairman – Committee for Lorne