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East Gippsland towns’ fire risk finally acknowledged: IngramThe Independent Member for Gippsland East, Craig Ingram, has welcomed acknowledgment by the State Government that a number of towns in East Gippsland are at significant fire threat this summer. By Craig Ingram - 20th August 2009 - Back to News "Over a number of years, I have raised numerous concerns on behalf of these communities on the real risk and lack of preventative action taken to protect residents from bushfires in these towns," Mr Ingram said.
"The State Government has declared that a number of Gippsland towns -- including three in my electorate -- will have individual township protection plans drawn up with the assistance of the CFA.
"In East Gippsland, the towns identified at significant risk and for new individual township protection plans are Bemm River, Cann River and Mallacoota.
"These should also be developed for other small communities across the region who have similar, if not as great, challenges and fire risks where preventative works are required to reduce the fire threat for this summer and I will urge the State Government to investigate these areas.
"I have continued to raise these issues with government over a number of years, such as the level of fuel build-up, access roads, communications and the maintenance of refuge areas in these communities.
"Without a major change in the weather and rainfall patterns before the onset of the fire season, this summer is shaping up as another extreme fire threat.
"I encourage residents to start thinking about their own fire plans and safety now, well before it is too late.
"I will continue to pursue the government in playing its part to address years of neglect and lack of prescribed burns across the region," Mr Ingram said.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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