RED Hill Recreation Reserve has been endorsed as a bushfire refuge for the coming fire season. Residents can go to the top oval when other bushfire plans fail.
Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has been working with the CFA, Victoria police, and CFA brigades to identify sites for designation and the top oval met the criteria.
Increased traffic in Red Hill caused by the monthly market and annual show has prompted warnings to residents to carefully consider their travel plans in the area. They should only do so when all other plans fail.
Planned fuel reduction works will remove such environmental weeds as sweet pittosporum and Monterey pines, in the reserve over the next year. This will allow the bottom oval to meet CFA requirements before the 2018-19 fire season.
The works will have a management and rescue plan for animals living in the reserve. Once the works have been completed the remaining vegetation will be managed for its biodiversity and amenity value.
The mayor Cr Bev Colomb said the oval’s neighbourhood safer place designation would strengthen the community’s bushfire survival plan in time for summer.
“By the start of the upcoming fire season we will have an additional neighbourhood safer place to ensure our community members are looked after in case of an emergency,” Cr David Gill said.
Shire fire prevention officer Katie McKenzie said residents can prepare a personal bushfire survival plan by visiting cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare.
CFA officers and Mornington Peninsula Shire staff will undertake annual inspections to ensure the requirements of the bushfire place of last resort standards are met.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 26 September 2017
