Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
SIX months before the controlled burn at Lancefield broke containment lines this week, destroying property and endangering lives, a review by the Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommended dumping hectare-based planned burn targets in favour of a risk reduction-focused system.
The blaze that began as a planned burn and morphed into an-out-of-control inferno was first lit last Wednesday and has razed more than 4000 hectares of land in central Victoria.
Five years ago, both major parties backed the push for the implementation of a target to burn a minimum of 5 per cent of public land in Victoria each year, a key recommendation of the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission held after Black Saturday.
One of the IGEM’s criticisms of the hectare-based target was that it provided “insufficient incentive to adopt alternative risk reduction activities when planned burns cannot take place”.
Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water Lisa Neville announced on Thursday that an external investigation into the fire will be led by the director of Western Australia’s Office of Bushfire Risk Management Murray Carter.
Mr Carter will examine all aspects of the planned burn, including its timing, communication with the community and the factors involved in it getting out of control.
The review panel will also include Lancefield resident Vivien Philpotts, and Parks Victoria regional operations director Jo Richards.
Emergency Services Minister Jane Garrett said relief payments of $1300 had already been made to 17 people.
Ms Garrett said 4000 hectares had been burnt already but authorities were hopeful that better conditions would see the fire brought under control.
She said two houses and six sheds had been lost, with some department vehicles damaged by falling trees.
Compensation will be considered by the review panel, and Environment Minister Lisa Neville said water used from private dams would be replaced.
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning chief fire officer Alan Goodwin on Thursday denied emphatically the operation had been under-staffed and ignorant of pending heatwave conditions.
He said the grand final holiday had no effect on the burn’s management.
"Going into a public holiday and a long weekend has no impact on the way we resource our burns in anywhere in the state," Mr Goodwin said.
The number of resources allocated was based on estimated risk and weather conditions, he said.
"It is certainly regrettable, our staff are stressed about this, it is important to support them," he said.
Mr Goodwin said the Lancefield fire team would have been aware of the weekend's weather forecast and planned to have the prescribed fire controlled by the time the hot weather arrived.
DELWP will go ahead with a planned burn this weekend at Heathcote’s Rodney Track.
