By KATH GANNAWAY
A Yarra Ranges resident has raised concern about what he says is a lack of consultation, and the scientific rigour of a government strategy on bushfire risk.
The Department of Environment and Primary Industry (DEPI) is holding four workshops on the East Central Bushfire Risk Landscape Strategy including one in Healesville tonight (Tuesday, 6 May) on the proposed strategy.
A workshop was held in Upwey on Monday night.
Laurence Gaffney, a Lilydale resident with property in Hoddles Creek, is unhappy about what he says is a lack of prior consultation.
DEPI, however has defended their consultative process saying their East Central Bushfire Risk Landscape team had engaged over the past 18 months with more than 500 community members, land managers and fire agency representatives.
Mr Gaffney also questioned the release of the final strategy document just a few weeks before the workshops.
“Would it not have been more useful if held 18 to 24 months ago? It’s hard to see how these workshops can meaningfully contribute at this late stage,” he said in an email to DEPI last week.
Mr Gaffney told the Mail he had been advised by DEPI that they had been planning to send out a discussion paper prior to the workshops but had decided it was complex and better dealt with on a person to person basis.
“I am surprised that DEPI thinks the public cannot read and comprehend complex information,” he said adding he would have liked to have an opportunity to read and evaluate the discussion paper prior to the workshops.
DEPI in a response to Mr Gaffney’s concerns said local knowledge from the workshops, along with the latest research and data from predictive modelling technology would be used to help guide the plan.
“Given the information about this stage of the project is still provisional and technically complex, it was decided that it would be most effectively explained in a workshop setting, rather than in a discussion paper,” DEPI spokesperson Sally Bateman said.
The plan is set to be released in September.
The workshops are open to everyone. For more information visit www.depi.vic.gov.au/bushfirerisk, or phone Suriya Vij on 0417 468 894.
