Fire protection plans posed for Buninyong, Nerrina

By Marcus Power
Updated November 2 2012 - 1:53pm, first published April 13 2010 - 1:11pm

FIRE protection plans for another two high-risk Ballarat areas have been proposed.The Country Fire Authority has drawn up Township Protection Plans for Buninyong and an area which takes in Brown Hill, Nerrina and Invermay. The protection plans will be considered by the Ballarat City Council at an ordinary meeting tonight.Last October, protection plans for Mt Clear and Mt Helen were formally adopted by the council.Those two suburbs had been identified as being among the 52 highest risk areas for bushfire in the state.A report to be tabled at tonight's ordinary meeting said Buninyong and the Brown Hill area fitted the three main criteria of high fire risk. It said the physical characteristics of the areas would make a fire in either place more intense, that such a fire would be potentially "well fed'' before it reached the town, and safe road access out of both areas was limited. The plans for both areas was made up of three sections: community information, township planning factors and fire prevention works done.The report noted that the Royal Commission into the Black Saturday bushfires was still sitting and its findings could change the plans and the council's role in them."It is likely that the final report of the Bushfire Royal Commission shall impose additional responsibilities upon councils pertaining to fire prevention and emergency management,'' the report said.The report recommended councillors give authority to council's chief executive officer Anthony Schinck to make any changes recommended by the commission and to approve any future township plans. It said the delegation of authority to Mr Schinck would make sure any changes needed would not be delayed.

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