If we have learned anything from the recent Victorian bushfires, it's that nothing can be taken for granted when choosing a rural lifestyle – especially the inevitability of wild fires.Obviously we need to alter our thinking on this important issue; however knee jerk reactions benefits no one. Having chosen a rural lifestyle, my wife Sylvia and I experience the threat every summer. Last summer shocked us.
Preparedness is now a necessity and I, along with my neighbours, will be upgrading our fire readiness. A cleared buffer is paramount; fifty metres rather than the recommended thirty being not unreasonable, with sprinklers covering the house.
Certainly an underground shelter would stack the odds of survival in favour residents, therefore it will be enthusiastically considered. All these precautions, though reasonable, come with conditions - council regulation.
As an elected alderman I'm duty bound to follow procedure; however I find the requirements somewhat overwhelming, and if I do, so will the majority of other rural residents.
I agree there should be guidelines especially where construction of an underground fire proof facility is considered. My personal opinion is that Tasmanian Fire Service should be the authority, with their ruling taking precedence.
It's preferable to have lives saved as opposed to restrictive regulation, that end in lives lost. We need assistance not impediment – commonsense not pig headedness.
Human nature predicts of those who will do their own thing regardless. My message to you is, seek advice and do the job to regulation standard. Do the research, and above all make it safe.
If you have concerns, I would like to hear from you!
Ian Norton
Phone 24/7: 0407 951 437
email: ian.s.norton@bigpond.com
1 comment:
The council?s decision to waive fees for applicants wishing to reduce their fire hazard potential is an admirable first step; however I believe they can go further. Any restriction to hazard reduction is a recipe for disaster. The time frame for a Development Application is far to long, and any advertising posted on property gates and in newspapers add to the inconvenience.
Fees discourage compliance, bureaucracy Confounds. Rural folk can choose to pay the fees and wait for council to give the OK, break the law and risk prosecution, or worse still, do nothing.
The challenge is out there. Will the Examiner Newspaper sponsor free council posting of notice in their paper, and will council and aldermen unite to fast track the process helping our rural community to be fire ready?
Ian Norton
Post a Comment