The Shire of Collie has voted to endorse the Draft Bush Fire Risk Management Plan at the latest council meeting despite it ‘placing a burden on the shire’.
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The risk management plan is to mitigate the risk of bushfires on Crown land until 2022 as well as being able to receive state government funding to undertake those works.
Director of development services Andrew Dover said in the meeting the plan was more of a framework which outlines responsibilities within it, enabling a joint team building approach to mitigation, so they could mitigate outside their boundaries.
The motion was first brought to council in May 2017, where council voted against the plan because they wanted to hear more information from the Office of Bushfire Risk Management.
Office of Bushfire Risk Management Murray Carter addressed the council in July 2017 and the plan was presented again to council with an adjusted motion.
The motion was voted down and an alternative motion which said council would adopt the plan if the Office of Bushfire Risk Management could guarantee funding.
However, this motion was also lost.
Since then, Shire of Collie president Sarah Stanley, chief executive officer David Blurton and Mr Dover met with representatives of the risk management office to discuss the plan.
It was suggested by the risk management officers that the plan be adopted based on the original template and a council letter of concern would be sent with the application. The letter of concern showed the shire was not willing to carry out the plan if it did not receive the appropriate funding as it was not in a financial position to do so.
DFES Rural Fire Division acting executive John Tillman said for the shire to be eligible for funding, the plan must be endorsed by the bushfire risk managment office as well as be able to complete the mitigation works by June 2019.
In the May 28, 2018 council agenda, Mr Dover said the plan would place a burden of ensuring compliance with the BRM Plan on the shire, however it would allow the shire to apply for additional grant funding for bushfire mitigation for Crown land.
Councillor Gary Faries raised the question about if there’s an area that needs fire reduction and mitigation and the shire don’t endorse the plan, would they be putting the community at risk because they can’t afford to do it?
Mr Dover said in short that it would be putting the community at risk but it was still up to the particular land owner to reduce the risk. He said if they don’t get any resources from the state government the intention is to not do the work.
