To me this is the wrong focus altogether - firstly are families fleeing from the imminent threat of wildfire really going to be thinking about their rights to sue? Why can't the issues of safety and well-organised evacuations be thoroughly researched rather than this ridiculous opt out attitude by govt depts that are simply negligent!
if insurance is a problem why not have a legal waiver of rights set up for these emergency situations?
People like to live in the bush -they are well aware of the risks they take - but the negligence of govt depts in not setting up proper and safe policies for well known emergencies are misleading and dangerous!
rather than wasting public taxes on destructive and polluting "fuel reduction" burns all through the beautiful pristine native bushland and forests -why don't they spend these funds on building proper infrastructure of early warning systems and appropriate evacuation strategies and safe shelters?
I have personal experience of living in 2 bushfire zones and being evacuated throughout my life as well as being burnt out on Ash Wed in the Otways where we actually were on the day.
On that day anyone who stayed to defend their property in our area tragically perished and my family fled for or lives with 2 elderly citizens and a new baby - my son of 10 weeks!
This was on a day of intolerable heat and high winds in an arid beach area most unlikely to be burnt out. After the fire there were only 2 surviving holiday homes (by some miracle) and the whole area resembled a moonscape.
This event is so deeply etched in our collective community memory that locals still talk about it today nearly 30 years later!
Subsequent brushes with property loss and near escapes have all been caused by the DSE instigated "controlled burns " that inevitably get out of control -somehow, never explained - and leave the locals shaking their heads and muttering.
One in our area caused considerable loss of property ironically to those who had requested the burn being most anxious about the bushfire threat! and more recently the Alcoa power plant at Anglesea became a bit of a close shave! I quake to think of the huge cost of these misplaced manoevres which seem to happen far to frequently!
The once picturesque and lovely entrance to Anglesea township is currently a focus of this policy and a blackened wasteland now confronts residents aswell as the many tourists and overseas vissitors who flock to this area as the summer season gets underway.
I worry about the lack of proper provision for these people -locals and visitors alike and I do not believe the current policy of burning the bush along the roadside and in large tracts inland would make any difference if there was to be a really critical fire event such as Ash Wednesday - Feb 13th 1983!
I also feel angry and upset at the sight of the devastation to our beautiful landscape, I worry about the destruction of native animals and their habitat and as well the risk to health of local residents (such as myself) who suffer from asthma and lung problems on burn off days for whom no appropriate warnings or refuges from the serious smoke is provided.
In fact I am disgusted with the lack of real action in this area making a mockery of the dedicated tireless work of our brave fire-fighters - ignoring the lessons that should have been learned from "Black Saturday" and acted upon as a matter of extreme urgency!
The real tragedy here is that these deaths were in fact preventable and that with appropriate strong leadership and policies to assign resources to address the real problems there should never be another life lost in a bush-fire situation.
I do not think the current policies are focused on the real issues here nor does the "bandaid approach" of so called fuel reduction burns provide any real protection in a serious fire event - but is just about keeping up appearances and being seen to be doing something.
I am also strongly opposed to the approach of spreading fear every Summer season so that families can no longer enjoy a peaceful summer break without the worry of a possible bush-fire!
Serious fire events happen very rarely and are indeed unpredictable in the general sense - the threat last Summer never eventuated and many people are forced to have this permanent fear and worry in their lives simply because the Authorities are not taking responsibility of addressing the problem proactively rather than playing politics!
I have been told that early warning systems and predictive models are indeed well-developed and readily available. Why are these not being developed as a matter of urgency and installed in those areas known to be at risk?
People will always choose to inhabit and visit our beautiful bush areas and with the proper controls and systems in place this should not mean that they need to live in fear of fire or at risk of their lives!
So let's quit all the bullshit and playing politics and get some proper action happening now!
