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.
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/02/11/environmentalism-killsagain/
This story highlights the issue of enviro policy that is wrapped in the climate change absurdities and the infringement upon property rights for the supposed greater good. The aftermath of such tragedies is often filled with enormous grief and anger. Hopefully, clear headed assessments will be made to determine if eco policies may have contributed to fuel that allowed the deadly fire to cause such harm. Common sense brush clearing or tree removal is not equal to Brazilian deforestation. Again, balance.
Gday, two Aussie posts in two days, you need to go down under 🙂
I’ve been following the stories closely, I do have some family and friends in the fire areas, and spent a fair amount of time in and around those places worst hit. Thankfully none that I know of at this stage were in the path.
I particularly liked your point about balance, you are spot on. Though I do say the blogger you highlighted and some of the others in this country seizing on those comments from that public meeting could apply some of the same rules. I read the original article the quotes were taken from and they were two highlighted from a longer piece. As an ex-Aussie journalist (Murdoch and independent outlets) Ive been to similar meetings and I would have run these quotes, but you also remember these grieving people are definately in the anger phase of grief.
I don’t know the Council decisions referred to but on the other hand since the tragic 1983 fires there has been a concerted push by the State Fires Services in each State to have landowners clear a fire corridor around their homes. In Australia fire services botht he full time Fire Service and rural Country Fire Authority services (and police) are State run, controlled and funded. I have seen the campaigns in spring early summer to make sure people are aware of the fire risks, how to be prepared and to cut undergrowth and trees away from homes.
The details of the actions of the Council in question Im not privy to. The Royal Commission (independant public inquiry) will determine if there were policies such as is suggested and if they were to blame for intensity/spread etc of the fires.
One thing I do know having been in and around a few bushfires back home is that controlling blazes in semi-rural areas with 113F temps and 50 mph winds would have been nigh impossible. It was really slammed home to me the stories about the Marysville police evacuated the town football ground because of the intensity of the fire, and its lethal radiant heat.
A aussie football ground is a cleared area at least 80s at its narrowest point and more thank likely over 100y.
Frightening to think of.
Cheers
Steve
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Thank you for responding with such a thoughtful piece. My son and I know wildland fire fighters and we all agree that that was a frighteningly powerful event that, as you say, has people traumatized and grieving. I do hope the eventual reviews and tweaking of process will result in attempting to improve prevention, response (ICS-not the fire fighters for sure) and land use policies (if they did contribute). Such power is alwasys sobering and humbling.
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