Smythesdale residents will be encouraged to retreat to the Woady Yaloak Equestrian Centre as a place of “last resort” in the event of a fire this summer, surprising some residents and confusing others.Neighbourhood Safer Places (NSPs) are designated to provide the community some protection from radiant heat, the biggest killer during bushfire.The CFA stress NSP’s are “not inherently safe” places during a bushfire and urge those concerned to leave early.A Golden Plains Shire spokeswoman said the equestrian centre was chosen as Smythesdale and Scarsdale’s safer place in May 2010 after community consultation and expert input.She said the equestrian centre, about 1km from the township, was chosen with a number of factors in mind, including open space buffer to fuel loads, proximity to population centres and clear means of site access.A local firefighter, who asked not to be named, said a “majority” of the crowds at community consultation meetings pushed for the more central Recreation Centre to be designated as a safer place.President of the Smythesdale Progress Association, Dennis Ross, admitted the equestrian centre seemed “a bit far out” from the centre of town.“I would have thought it would be at the recreation centre,” he said.Courthouse Hotel owner Melanie Pitman said she had no idea the equestrian centre was designated as Smythesdale and Scarsdale’s safer place.She also declared her building could provide some safety for residents in the event of a fire.“It depends where the fire is and what it’s doing, but I know I’d be coming here – to the pub,” she said.Secretary of the Woady Yaloak Recreation Centre, Mick Ellis, said he was surprised a Neighbourhood Safer Place had already been chosen for Smythesdale.Mr Ellis said the recreation centre had been used as a staging ground for various fires in the past, but never a safer place.“I’m happy to go along with whatever the CFA and the council have chosen, but I still reckon it would have to be a damn good fire to get to anyone here (at the recreation centre).” For more information on Neighbourhood Safer Places, visit www.cfa.vic.gov.au.