New fire shelter category ‘adds to misunderstanding’
New fire shelter category ‘adds to misunderstanding’
14 October 2010
published by www.abc.net.au
Australia — The precincts are distinct from existing Neighbourhood Safer Places and Fire Refuges, and may include shopping centres and transport terminals in low-risk areas.
The extra category was not recommended by the Bushfires Royal Commission, and was not announced formally – but buried in a wider government policy document, released today.
The State Opposition has attacked the revelation, so close to the start of the 2009/10 fire season.
“People are already in a state of misunderstanding as to what is required of them in the event that the worst happens,” said Nationals leader Peter Ryan.
“The Government is much better to concentrate on doing what the Commission specifically told it [to] do. They should not, at this late stage, be introducing this further element to it.”
Country Fire Authority (CFA) chief executive Mick Bourke says he had hoped to formally announce the new fire shelter category next month.
He is promising a big effort to explain the change.
“We agree 100 per cent that we have to get the terminology right, so the community does not get confused,” he said.
“A Neighbourhood Safer Place is a place of last resort, a Safer Precinct on a Code Red Day would be a place of first resort.
“So they are very different and it’s our job to communicate that even better to the community.”
The CFA will finalise the methodology for declaring the precincts by October 31.
