Jonathan Andrea, from Forest Fire Management Victoria, said residents raised the possibility of alternatives to burning when consulted on plans for an area near Inglis Street.

Through phone calls, meetings and information sessions over the past year, Mr Andrea said, residents and FFM Victoria agreed to undertake a mix of fuel reduction methods, to be completed in two stages.

The first stage has involved mulching, which has already begun and will take another week to complete.

“We are mulching areas of thick vegetation that has regrown at the site after the Black Saturday fires passed through in 2009,” Mr Andrea said.

Experts will then reassess the site and targeted burns may take place in areas not conducive to mulching.

“Planned burns will remain an important technique in bushfire preparedness but equally as important — in consultation with communities — is to consider other options of reducing risk such as mulching, slashing and grooming works,” Mr Andrea said.

“These methods are an effective fuel management option where the terrain and vegetation are suitable.”

He said the collaboration was undertaken as part of a new ‘Safer Together’ approach to managing bushfire risk.