Angry Fire Survivors Blame Council 'Green' Policy
boozn
Greenies should be hung, drawn and quartered for this!
Andrea Petrie, Arthurs Creek
February 11 2009
ANGRY residents last night accused local authorities of contributing to the
bushfire toll by failing to let residents chop down trees and clear up
bushland that posed a fire risk.
During question time at a packed community meeting in Arthurs Creek on
Melbourne's northern fringe, Warwick Spooner - whose mother Marilyn and
brother Damien perished along with their home in the Strathewen blaze -
criticised the Nillumbik council for the limitations it placed on residents
wanting the council's help or permission to clean up around their properties
in preparation for the bushfire season. "We've lost two people in my family
because you dickheads won't cut trees down," he said.
"We wanted trees cut down on the side of the road . and you can't even cut
the grass for God's sake."
Later, the meeting was cut short when Mr Spooner's father, Dennis, collapsed
in his chair and an ambulance had to be called. Despite losing his wife and
son and everything he owned, a friend later said he had not stopped or slept
since the weekend.
Another resident said she had asked the council four times to tend to
out-of-control growth on public land near her home, but her pleas had been
ignored.
There was widespread applause when Nillumbik Mayor Bo Bendtsen said changes
were likely to be made about the council's policy surrounding native
vegetation.
But his response was not good enough for Mr Spooner: "It's too late now
mate. We've lost families, we've lost people."
More than 500 people spilled out of the small hall during the meeting, at
which the CFA, Victoria Police, Department of Human Services and Telstra
provided updates.
Many expressed anger that police road blocks were stopping them from
reaching survivors trapped in fire-ravaged areas with no water, power or
other basic needs. One man present spoke of counselling a woman whose two
children had been killed and whose grief had been compounded by not knowing
where they were because the area had been declared a crime scene and she had
not been allowed to return.
Most of those present were tired, grieving the loss of relatives and friends
and with little more than the smoke-coated clothes on their backs. Some were
still showing symptoms of shock after experiencing the worst natural
disaster in the nation's history.
Scattered around the hall and outside were trestle tables with clothing
sorted in neat piles, toiletries, food and bottled water. On the floor were
dozens of pairs of shoes. There was also a section dedicated to baby clothes
and another for children's toys.
Of all the speakers who addressed the meeting, it was Arthurs Creek CFA
Captain David McGahy who got the most rousing reception.
Choking back tears he told them: "I'm so terribly sorry. We desperately
wanted to protect you but we couldn't.
"In the cold analysis of light, it wouldn't have mattered if we'd have had
200 units here, all that would have happened is we would have ended up with
a whole lot of dead firefighters. I've been at this game for about 40 years
and I haven't experienced anything like that, not even remotely like it."
Warmest Regards
Bonzo
Don H
# Chopping down trees, clearing undergrowth, or doing back-burning - seem to
be the answer to most such problems. It is all the vegetation's fault!
While we may sympathise with those who died or had their home destroyed,
it is a hazard of "living in the bush" or near it, and an underground bunker
should be mandatory on every property. Then fire may destroy your home
(unless made of fire-resistant material) but you can shelter in the bunker
until the fire passes, and emerge unscathed.
Planet Earth is being denuded of vegetation on a daily basis, and we
don't realise how precious botanical life-forms are, and how dependent on
them we zoologics are.
Unless the rambos and rednecks sober up, and recognise that the
much-maligned Greenies have a point, then mutual recrimination will
continue.
We humans breed like rabbits, and spread our life-style into bushland
accordingly.
The aim should be to eliminate bushfires, as such. They are not formed
by spontaneous combustion, but by either lightning strike, or human agency.
Catch the arsonists, avoid human carelessness, and control lightning - and
it then wouldn't matter what trees or undergrowth exist. If there are no
flames, there are no fires.
And if you have a bunker, then staying is not perilous; no need to flee.
If you don't like the bush, move to the city.
In an age of global warming, bushfires are a luxury we can no longer
afford.
IQ
You sound like Will Ferrell.
--
Whether we can fix this problem? It would be better if nature listens to
us rather than that we listen to nature. That is the solution to climate
change! -- George Bush on Global Warming spoof by Will Ferrell.
Denz
>
> Andrea Petrie, Arthurs Creek
>
> February 11 2009
>
>
>
> ANGRY residents last night accused local authorities of contributing to
> the bushfire toll by failing to let residents chop down trees and clear up
> bushland that posed a fire risk.
If these 'angry residents' dont want to live in the bush with trees- then
why did they move there? Rather than turning the bush into a desert, why
didnt they just go and live in the desert in the first place- which is where
they obviously want to be.