The Country Fire Authority and the Department of Sustainability and Environment conducted the burn, in collaboration with Coliban Water, to protect the water treatment plant and Sandhurst Reservoir.

The two-hectare burn was west of Coliban Water’s Bendigo Water Treatment Plant in Kangaroo Flat. DSE Murray Goldfields district manager Steve Nicholson said the burn would complement one the DSE conducted earlier in the week to the north of the water facility.

“These two burns will help slow the spread and reduce the intensity of any future fires that may be heading in the direction of this important community asset,” he said.

CFA operations manager Mark Gilmore said the CFA was looking forward to working with the DSE and Coliban Water to protect Bendigo’s water supply from wildfire. CFA Bendigo fire officer Steve Smith said although yesterday’s burn was quite small, it was very significant.

“In regards to this burn, it is building a strategic break to secure the water supply of residents and the emergency services in the event of a wildfire,” Mr Smith said.

He said reducing the fuel would minimise the impact of any fires.

Coliban Water general manager of operations and headworks Neville Pearce said the burn was an important part of Coliban’s fire preparedness for the bushfire period.

“The burn will reduce fire risk to our Bendigo Water Treatment Plant and Sand

hurst Reservoir, which supplies water to the Bendigo area,” Mr Pearce said.

Several other burns were planned in the Murray Goldfields DSE region, including a 33-hectare burn in the Greater Bendigo National Park six kilometres south-east of Bendigo and an eight-hectare fuel reduction burn in a state park four kilometres north of Moliagul.