Coastal clean-up

By Bridget Brady
COASTAL village residents have welcomed potential State Government laws that will see a dramatic change in their ability to clear land to prevent fire danger.
But some are worried about the excess fuel that would be created from the clearing, and have called for another free mulching service or some other form of council assistance to remove the vegetation.
The ‘10/30 right’, which has yet to be made law, will give land owners the right to clear trees and vegetation within 10 metres of their house and vegetation within 30 metres without a permit.
This is a significant change for coastal village residents who currently have strict environmental controls in relation to clearing.
State Government spokesperson Chris Owner said it was not a requirement, but rather the landowner’s choice whether they wanted to clear parts of their land.
Convenor of the Friends of Warneet Environmental Group Robin Dzedins said she was concerned that unless residents had assistance in getting rid of cleared vegetation, it would be dumped in bushland areas where it would remain a fire and weed hazard.
But Casey’s acting planning manager Michael Pollard said the council had not formally considered the implications of the clearing because the changes to the laws had not yet been undertaken.
Cannons Creek resident Don Jewell said it seemed like a sensible idea to take the matter out of local council’s hands.
“I’m a devoted conservationist, but if it’s your own land it’s up to yourself,” Mr Jewell said.
“You can’t make people clear around their homes and quite frankly I’m a bit cynical about what difference it would make if a Black Saturday fire went through here.”
The clearing would, however, make a difference with a slow-moving fire, Mr Jewell said.
Coastal village residents have regularly discussed their safety and the possibilities of clearing in their bushy towns since Black Saturday.
Blind Bight resident Gordon Jemson said he was happy to hear about the prospective laws, but said the coastal villages still needed a fire plan.
“It worries me a bit that nobody is biting the bullet and making a decision on what we’re supposed to be doing,” he said. “We need a fire plan for the residents.”
Casey Council said it was finalising its Municipal Fire Management Plan.
Bob Wray, another Blind Bight resident, said the 10/30 rules would “give people the right to protect their property”.
“We were delighted when we heard this. It has given people a little bit more hope,” Mr Wray said.
Casey councillor Lynette Keleher, who is on the Casey Conservation Advisory Committee, said she recognised it was a delicate matter.
“I hope no one takes advantage and goes overboard and clears unnecessarily,” Cr Keleher said.
“It is a very hard situation. We want to preserve as much as we can but there has to be some balance.”