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Northe Tables Petition Calling for Fire Track Action

Petition to ensure access to local fire emergency are adequately maintained and accessible to first responders.

By Portal Admin - 30th August 2019 - Back to News

Member for Morwell Russell Northe has this week tabled a petition in State Parliament that calls upon the State Government to take immediate action and ensure that local fire emergency access tracks, are adequately maintained and accessible for first responders.

"Over 1,500 people have signed hard copy petitions, which demonstrates the enormous concern many in our community have for this issue", Mr Northe said.

"The petition came about as a result of concerns expressed by local residents who were of the understanding that local CFA trucks weren’t able to easily access fire events due to poor emergency track maintenance", Mr Northe lamented.

Having attended community meetings in Toongabbie, Cowwarr and Yinnar during and post fires earlier in the year, this same concern was expressed at each of those meetings.

"Accessibility for first responders in any emergency is critically important and this principle should apply to plantations and Crown Land" said Mr Northe.

Urgent attention should to be given to fire access tracks and ensure they are not overgrown and inaccessible, and therefore allow our brave emergency services personnel to better protect lives and assets.

The petition calls upon the ‘State Government to ensure all fire access tracks on public land and within plantations are re-instated, are adequately maintained all year round, and are not constructed as "dead end" roads’.

"Our community deserve to know that they live in safety, particularly in bushfire prone areas like ours where the past is ever-present in our memory", Mr Northe said.

"I have also recently formally written to the Minister for Emergency Services on this matter and await her response on same, Mr Northe said.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: support@gippsland.com