Sykes: Commonsense needed in post fire clean up

Source: (State MP for Benalla) Bill Sykes Media Release

Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes, in Parliament on Thursday 26 February called for commonsense to prevail as the massive clean up of fire damaged areas heads into full swing in many parts of Victoria.

“A key activity is making our roadways safe by the removal of burnt and dangerous trees,” Bill Sykes said. “Unfortunately VicRoads’ efforts in making roads safe in the Flowerdale area have been hampered by an overzealous interpretation of dubious Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) guidelines.”

“Post fire falling tree limbs can be dangerous. It’s a danger I am well aware of. In the past I narrowly missed serious injury myself by a falling limb during a fire mop up operation in bush land near Benalla,” Bill Sykes continued. “We need to ensure the safety of our fire fighters and the public is not compromised by the restricted removal of roadside trees.”

Bill Sykes said, “I call on the Minister for Environment and Climate Change to show leadership on this issue and immediately instruct DSE staff to apply common sense rather than zealously implementing guidelines which will be subject to intense scrutiny in the forthcoming Royal Commission. I remind the Minister that as his staff seek to protect a few hundred trees, government policies are being held responsible for the destruction of millions upon millions of trees in the fires of 2003, 2006-07 and 2009.”

The clean up and repair of fences and fence lines on properties bordering Crown Land is also of issue and demands a similar commonsense approach.

“I also call on the Minister for Agriculture to stand up for farmers and commit the Government to meeting 50 per cent of the cost of fencing between Crown Land and private property. This is what good neighbours do and what was recommended by the all-party Parliamentary Inquiry into ‘The Impact of Public Land Management Practices on Bushfires in Victoria’,” he said.

The Government is also been called to meet 100 per cent of the cost of replacing boundary fences against Crown Land which are destroyed by CFA/DSE instigated back burns from control lines on private property.

The Bushfire Royal Commission will provide a much needed opportunity to review and investigate existing DSE guidelines in relation to public land management practices; a likely outcome will see the implementation of revised guidelines and a reduction of the restrictions currently imposed on the removal of native vegetation.

Bill Sykes concluded his Parliamentary statement saying; “Now is the time for common sense and equitable sharing of the costs of recovery from these tragic fires. I call on the Brumby Government to step up to the mark.”