Volunteer Firefighters for Forests

A newly formed local community group is urging DELWP to stop the 30 sq km Barjarg Rd planned burn.

[Full Media release_Volunteer Firefighters for Forests 1.3 MB]

Volunteer Firefighters call for a halt to this season’s planned burns in Strathbogie Ranges

CFA volunteers from local brigades in the Strathbogie Ranges and nearby districts have banded together to form a new group calling themselves ‘Volunteer Firefighters for Forests’ to save the Strathbogie Ranges’ last extensive stands of mature native forests from an unnecessary and destructive burn planned for this autumn.

“We are all committed CFA volunteers who have responded to hundreds of call-outs to fires and other emergencies over our years of involvement with the CFA”, said spokesperson Andrew Townsend. “But, we also care about our local natural environment and we do not support DELWP’s plan to burn 30 square kilometres of some of the best quality forest in the ranges. We are all part of this local community and as CFA volunteers we do not see any logic from a human safety perspective in burning these forests right now.

• The burn is too big
• The forest is too dry
• The risk of damage is too great
• We care about this forest

As members of CFA brigades surrounding the Strathbogie Forest, the voices of CFA volunteers need to be heard. Andrew Townsend again “We want to be involved in decision making about planned-burns in the area.”

This group is very concerned about protecting life, assets and the forest and is convinced that a truly collaborative approach can achieve this. Genuine community consultation is a central platform of the Victorian Government’s ‘Safer Together’ approach to bushfire risk. We fully endorse Minister Lisa Neville’s statement “We will involve local communities in decision making, taking into account what people value in their local area.” And we urge the Minister to be true to her words.

We call on DELWP to defer this season’s burns in the Strathbogie Ranges and commit to genuine community consultation in the future planning of fuel reduction burns.

Media enquiries
Andrew Townsend

0488 965 066

f.a.townsend23@gmail.com

Volunteers rake breaks around old-growth trees vulnerable to fire.

Volunteer Firefighters for Forests acknowledges that the views expressed in this release have not been endorsed by the Country Fire Authority, Victoria.