-. - -- Baw Baw Shire Council 12 March 2008

1534 FIRE REFUGE (FILE NO. 325101101 :IAN WALK)

1. SUMMARY This report considers the policy and practice of fire refuge areas in the Baw Baw Shire and makes a recommendation on the future viability the fire refuge areas.

2. BACKGROUND

Fire refuges have been part of 's bushfire management since at least the 'Ash Wednesday' fires of 1983. In the late 1980s many were identified and designated by municipal councils, often on the advice of local CFA personnel. More recently, there is increasing scrutiny of refuges both from the point of view of their place in bushfire safety strategies, their construction standards and method of operation, and from the perspective of the obligations incurred by providers of refuges. This has led to the closure of many of those refuges in other Shires.

A fire refuge is defined as a place designated for public use where people may seek short term shelter from the fire front during a bushfire.

A designated public fire refuge has the following characteristics: Available to the public; Selected and maintained as a fire refuge, although it may also have other functions; Fixed permananent sign indicating that it is a fire refuge.

3. COUNCIL POLICIES

4. STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

Municipal councils are the primary body in Victoria responsible for determining whether there will be fire refuges in their areas, and their designation, maintenance and operation, in conjunction with local emergency service personnel, and members of the community.

The fire refuge areas are located on state, council and private property as follows:

1. Wahalla Township - DSE Land 2. Tanjil Bren Dugout - DSE Land 3. Dam wall Thomson Reservoir - Water

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4. Dam wall Moondarra Reservoir - Water 5. Allambee Camp - Private Property 6. Catherine Creek School Camp - Private Property 7. Rawson Shopping Centre - Council Land 8. Hall - Council Land

Melbourne Water and Gippsland Water have recommended that the fire refuge areas be decommissioned.

5. COMMUNITY OPINION/SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The Victoria Government policy 'stay and defend or go early' is now

6. SITE LOCALITY The fire refuge areas are located on state, council and private property as follows:

1. Walhalla Township - DSE Land 2. Tanjil Bren Dugout - DSE Land 3. Dam wall Thomson Reservoir - Melbourne Water 4. Dam wall Moondarra Reservoir - Gippsland Water 5. Allambee Camp - Private Property 6. Catherine Creek School Camp - Private Property 7. Rawson Shopping Centre - Council Land 8. Noojee Hall - Council Land

7. COUNCIL PLAN

Council's Plan 2006-2010 is the predominant planning and vision setting tool for Council. It articulates Council's vision for the future of our community and the Municipality. The Council Plan 2006-2010 structures our strategic objectives within four key directions- vibrant community, thriving economy,rural character and organisational excellence.

Council's Plan 2006-2010: 1. Vibrant Communities- To create healthy, informed and proud communities Outcome: 1.1 Engagement: an attractive and stimulating place with a high level of cultural vibrancy and creativity. People are optimistic about their community's future and are involved in community life. Strategies: 1.1.4 Support and encourage communities to identify their own needs and aspirations and how to achieve them. Outcomes: 1.2 Health and wellbeing: world-class health and wellbeing.

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Strategies: 1.2.1 Provide andlor facilitate a range of services that maintain and improve community health, safety and wellbeing.

8. FINANCES

9. OFFICERS COMMENT The Victorian Government's policy is that the primary strategy for people exposed to bushfire is to stay and defend or leave early.

Those who are physically able and well prepared can probably survive a very high to extreme intensity bushfire and save their property if they stay and defend it. Those who are unable to do this should leave their area by early morning on a high risk day that a bushfire is likely to occur (eg Total Fire Ban Day). Buildings can be used as refuges as they provide a barrier between people and radiant heat. However they need to be in close proximity so that people can get to them quickly on foot when a bushfire occurs. Conversely, buildings can pose a risk to life through asphyxiation from smoke as well as from flames so they need to be properly prepared, ventilated, well clear of any vegetation, unlocked and accessible. People can shelter in them as a fire front passes and then move outside to defend the property from ember attack.

Local open spaces that are ideally free of fuel and put suffienct space between people ans radiant heat can also act as refuges and reduce the risk. These informal places of shelter may be sports ovals, neighbour's tennis courts, or the main street of a shopping centre where the distance from the flames and smoke is suffiencent to protect those assembled from the radient heat and asphyxiation.

At greatest risk from bushfire are those who plan to stay, then decide to flee, either out of the bushfire area to a 'safer' location that they need to drive to.

10. CONCLUSION

The current designation of public refuges in Baw Baw Shire is untenable and dangerous in the context of very high to extreme bushfires because:

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Refuges have neither been selected nor maintained in accordance with any performance criteria or standards; Many refuges are located so far from their population catchment that people would need to drive to them- an extremely dangerous practice; Most refuges could not cope with their current population catchment; Adjacent vegetation or the refuge being locked when needed could compromise their safety.

Council is exposed to the risk of liability by designating public refuges. Where fire refuges are seen as an acceptable risk treatment, then they must be set up, managed and maintained as refuges according to the Victorian Governement policy. The establishment, maintenance and operation of a fire refuge to a lower level of performance will expose the provider to a higher risk of litigation.

11. RECOMMENDATION

That council:

1. Close the existing fire refuge areas and remove the fire refuge signage; 2. Remove the reference to fire refuge areas from the Municipal Fire Prevention Plan; 3. Advise the nearby residents of the fire refuge areas that, the fire refuge areas have been closed and promote the Victorian Governement primary strategy of 'stay and defend or leave early' on high fire danger days.

12. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

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