By Jessica Anstice
Comparing the Bunyip bushfires to Black Saturday in 2009, Narracan Liberal MP Gary Blackwood has suggested the State Government’s reaction was “very different” this time, and therefore “very unfair”.
“I have been critical of the State Government in parliament a number of times this year because their reaction to this fire is very different to what it was in 2009 after Black Saturday,” he said.
“There has been very little to no support for businesses, including the home based businesses that were impacted here and some of the farmers – in terms of actual government support and grants, they’ve been very light on the ground.
“I think Cardinia Shire has done a lot of good things but the building permit situation is tough because there are certain rules that the State Government set down that make it more difficult. We had the same situation in ’09 with the Baw Baw Shire – they promised everything at the start but then when it came to rolling it out it didn’t happen.”
Bunyip bushfire-affected residents are now calling for sweeping changes to Bunyip State Park’s road and track access, as well as tree felling, vegetation management, and the way in which preparation is undertaken ahead of the warmer and dryer months.
At the weekly Tonimbuk Hall dinner on Wednesday 4 December, Eastern Victoria Labor MP Harriet Shing, along with Mr Blackwood, attended to discuss a number of issues and concerns residents have.
Key issues raised during a Q and A session with the politicians reflected ongoing frustration with the immediate response to the emergency, back in March.
“Residents are frustrated about the levels of support that were provided and the inconsistency in the way they were treated and provided with resources and assistance immediately after the fires were extinguished,” Ms Shing said.
“We discussed a number of other issues that have arisen including management of deer populations as well as mobile phone blackspots which is a problem that is very serious in the event of an emergency when people can’t communicate or receive information that indeed might save their lives.
“So the work has to continue in a way that not only follows through on the recommendations of the Bushfires Royal Commission but that also notes the failings that occurred around the aftermath of the Bunyip fires.”
Both MPs have scheduled a meeting with Cardinia Shire Council CEO Carol Jeffs to discuss the ongoing issues, particularly planning and rebuilding permits.
“There are still permit issues – especially for people living closer to the state park, so we’ve got to try and work through those issues,” Mr Blackwood added.
“If they live near the state park they have a whole list of things they need to satisfy now compared to years ago because the bushfire rating and other things.
“The shire did say they would do their best to make it as easy as possible but there are still some issues there so I’ll try and see if we can get that moving forward.”
Ms Shing says she has been working beyond party lines to escalate issues to various ministers around advocating for changes in process, as well as changes in outcomes for people in the community.
“I have had discussions with Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville, Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, and Local Government Minister Adem Somyurek,” she said.
“I’m also making sure that Minister Luke Donnellan continues to follow through with work around the recovery effort.”
