Minister Barr: Know your risk and be prepared so you’re Canberra Bushfire Ready
- Written by ACT Government
Released 01/10/2015
Knowing your risk and being prepared are the key actions Canberrans must take to ensure they are bushfire ready this summer, with the the official bushfire season starting today.
The Bureau of Meteorology forecast and analysis from fire experts suggests a higher than average bushfire risk for the ACT this season. With the warmer weather returning, it is timely for the ACT Government to remind the community to be conscious of the threat we face from bushfires here in the ‘bush capital’ of Australia.
There are tasks we all need to do to ensure we are prepared, and the ACT Government has been doing everything it can for the season ahead. The onus is also on the community to play a role to ensure they are fully prepared if bushfires hit the ACT and our surrounding region.
The ESA will be engaging with the community over the coming months to provide advice on how to be Canberra Bushfire Ready. This includes:
- Face-to-face door knocking of residents in Bushfire Prone Areas of Canberra;
- Encouraging residents to assess their own level of risk by going to the ESA website (esa.act.gov.au) to find out if they live in a Bushfire Prone Area;
- Highlighting the importance of downloading and completing the ESA Bushfire Survival Plan app from the various app stores or in hard copy from the ESA website (esa.act.gov.au); and
- Hosting two large community engagement events in the next month. - ACT Fire & Rescue Community Fire Unit Saturday on 11 October; and - ACT Rural Fire Service Open Day on Sunday 25 October 2015.
The ACT is prepared for the bushfire season, and Territory and Municipal Services (TAMS) is well advanced in the implementation of the 2015-16 Bushfire Operations Plan (BOP) that has a number of key activities including:
- 56 prescribed burns covering 6,216 hectares
- 4,034 hectares of slashing in urban areas of the ACT
- 6,044 hectares of grazing across the outer edge of residential areas of the ACT
- 473 hectares of work to improve access for mowing and slashing
- Ongoing maintenance of fire trails across the ACT
This builds on hazard reduction activities completed in previous years as part of the ACT Government’s ongoing high level commitment to fuel management through the BOP.
The 2015-2016 Official Bushfire Season will run in the ACT from today until 31 March 2016 unless conditions warrant a change. I urge all Canberrans to play their part in ensuring we are a resilient community able to face the threat of bushfires this summer.
- Statement ends -
Section: Andrew Barr, MLA | Media Releases
