The wet winter and spectacular spring weather puts Albury Wodonga residents on notice for another risky bushfire season over summer.

Living in one of the highest bushfire risk areas in Victoria brings responsibilities for landowners far beyond what the average suburban Melbourne city dweller would dream of. We need to know what to expect when a fire springs to life locally, have our land and homes prepared, and have a plan in place to follow when reality brings that first whiff of smoke our way.

Parklands rangers have been busy with bushfire risk reduction works in the bush parks of the region. Over the past month 208km of trails have been prepared for summer and 38km of fuel reduction firebreaks created.

However well done, all these preparations within the reserves alone will not stop a serious bushfire. A whole suite of actions are needed, by a whole range of organisations and individuals, particularly residents. 

Preparing your property, your garden and your buildings well is the most effective step you can take in preventing fire damage. The basic requirements are to reduce fuel around the home and eliminate entry points for embers.

There are some excellent instructions available through the CFA and RFS websites on how to prepare your land and retrofit your home:

http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/

http://www.myfireplan.com.au/simple-tasks.html

Parklands encourages community stewardship of Albury-Wodonga’s unique network of environmental lands. However, any works, including actions in preparation for fire season, on Parklands-managed lands require written permission. Community groups and residents interested in ‘on ground’ work or enabling recreational activities on Parklands managed lands are welcome to contact us to discuss options.  Please contact us at info@parklands-alburywodonga.org.au