Residents worried bushfire safety project in jeopardy after being ignored in Manningham Council draft budget
Residents worried bushfire safety project in jeopardy after being ignored in Manningham Council draft budget
02 May 2013
published by www.heraldsun.com.au
Australia — WARRANDYTE residents are concerned a bushfire safety project is in jeopardy after being ignored in Manningham Council’s draft budget.
The Warrandyte Community Associations Be Ready Warrandyte program, which earlier this year released a popular video lampooning residents without a fire plan, does not rate a mention in the councils 2013-14 budget plans.
Association committee member David Ellis said given Warrandytes bushfire risk, residents were alarmed the council which contributed $10,000 in 2012-13 had decided not to continue funding the project.
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This is not a matter that can be taken up one year and discarded the next, Mr Ellis said.
Bushfire risk management is not a temporary contingency it is a core responsibility of local government.
Mr Ellis said the project, which provided information about reducing bushfire risk through brochures and community meetings, received $100,000 last year mostly from a State Government grant which would end in August this year.
He said the association was seeking $20,000 from the council to further ingrain the bushfire safety message.
He said the project had received a huge amount of pro-bono support from residents, with its satirical video a great example.
The local theatre group helped with the video; it looked professional because the people making it were professional, he said.
The community needs to see their council support it as well.
On Tuesday night, the council proposed an average rate rise of 4.8 per cent in its draft 2013-14 budget.
Leader is seeking a response from Manningham Council.
