{"id":170546,"date":"2025-09-19T04:00:24","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T18:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/?p=170546"},"modified":"2025-09-18T11:31:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T01:31:08","slug":"committee-for-lorne-working-together-to-prepare-for-the-coming-bushfire-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/news\/committee-for-lorne-working-together-to-prepare-for-the-coming-bushfire-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Committee for Lorne: Working Together to Prepare for the Coming Bushfire Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Working Together to Prepare for the Coming Bushfire Season<\/strong><\/p>\n

As we head into the busy season for Lorne and other Otway communities it\u2019s a good to time review how we, as a community, can work with key bushfire and land management agencies to prepare for the coming bushfire season.\u00a0 Last summer we saw significant bushfires in the Otways at Chapple Vale and Cape Otway, plus multiple smaller fires that were quickly contained by firefighters.\u00a0\u00a0 It is worth noting this Christmas Day marks the 10-year anniversary of the Wye River Bushfire in 2015.<\/p>\n

This is a reminder that Lorne has an extreme bushfire risk and while there has been some rain over the past month, there is still significant underlying dryness from over 18 months of severe rainfall deficits.<\/p>\n

So, in light of this, Committee for Lorne are working with Forest Fire Management Victoria (FMMV) in partnership with CFA, Surf Coast Shire, GORCAPA and Parks Victoria, to raise awareness of bushfire risk and various preparedness activities to reduce that risk.<\/p>\n

FFMV will be reducing bushfire risk on public land with mechanical fuel treatments, including maintaining strategic fuel breaks around high risk communities, and spring planned burns (weather permitting).<\/p>\n

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Green Break Track Planned Burn 27 March 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

These works will complement a number of planned burns around Lorne completed over the last few years. \u00a0This includes modifying vegetation in strategic corridors around Lorne to support planned burns and bushfire response- particularly to keep firefighters and communities safer.\u00a0 Broader landscape burns over the years the years have created a mosaic of different fuel levels across the Otways.\u00a0 FFMV note the recent Chapple Vale bushfire in Nov 2024 was significantly smaller due to two planned winter burns which slowed the spread and size of the bushfire.\u00a0 This planned burn footprint also provided refuge for wildlife to escape the fire, and escape from predators.<\/p>\n

The Committee for Lorne and fire agencies ask the Lorne community to support all these works in preparing for the bushfire season.\u00a0 It is the season for cleaning up and preparing your property.\u00a0 For instance: keep your grass below 10cm, remove vegetation litter, building materials, and other surface fuels. Move your woodpiles and other combustibles away from your house.\u00a0 Do your personal bushfire plans- we know every summer we hear about the traffic congestion so plan for this too.<\/p>\n

Our local bushfire agencies are busy working in full capacity to prepare for the coming season- let\u2019s work together to support these efforts.<\/p>\n

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Result of mechanical works at Lorne.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Find out more about property and personal bushfire preparedness here: www.cfa.vic.gov.au<\/a>.<\/p>\n

www.surfcoast.vic.gov.au\/Community\/Emergencies-and-safety\/Fire-ready<\/a><\/p>\n

You can see more about all the strategic planning and delivery for planned burns over the next 3 years here – https:\/\/bushfireplanning.ffm.vic.gov.au\/jfmp\/<\/a> and register for Planned Burns Notifications – https:\/\/plannedburns.ffm.vic.gov.au\/<\/a> – this is an excellent way to stay up to date and plan for upcoming planned burns.\u00a0 If you have any questions, please email Otway.Fire@deeca.vic.gov.au<\/a><\/p>\n

John Agar<\/strong><\/p>\n

Feature Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n

A word from the chairman<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Hello<\/p>\n

Over the last two months the Surf Coast Shire, in conjunction with the Committee for Lorne and other community organisations, has held a series of three workshops addressing the issues of key worker housing in Lorne.<\/p>\n

The workshop group has defined the problem facing Lorne as follows:<\/p>\n

\u201cLorne has insufficient affordable long-term rental and owned housing opportunities. \u00a0This affects the availability and quality of services by not accommodating and retaining low-income families and key workers in industries such as hospitality, emergency services, education and healthcare to sustain a healthy, contributing community year-round<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

The group has identified possible solutions to address the problem, including the following:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Identifying and securing council\/public land site\/sites that could be leased to a housing provider and\/or developer to provide affordable housing and to develop a feasibility\/master plan for an agreed site or sites which could include:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n