Mallacoota and East Gippsland residents invited to The Howitt Society public meeting for bushfire preparedness

Having seen the billowing smoke in NSW over winter when hazard reduction burns were reducing the thick and dense regrowth over the state, Victorian residents say the same efforts to limit fuel loads in their area have not occurred.

Mallacoota resident Angie Cooper, a committee member of The Howitt Society who are a group of experienced land and fire managers, scientists, foresters, anthropologists, and historians.

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"Since the Black Summer fires, and in fact prior to the Black Summer fires, the Victorian government felt that it was only necessary to reduce the risk immediately around towns and is not doing any fuel reduction or planned burning in the broader landscape," Ms Cooper said.

"And there are thousands of square kilometres of forest around Orbost and the border that have not had any planned burns since the Black Summer fire.

"It's worrisome for us.

"But considering the damage that the last fire that came through here did to NSW, to the area out between the border and Eden, and up the Imlay road, and the pine forests and everything up there, and all the timber resources in the forests on the NSW side, I would think it would be worrisome for everybody.

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"It can all happen again, and it's all stacking up again to repeat the disaster."

On October 5, a public meeting will be held at Mallacoota District Health and Support Service Meeting Room to discuss the issue of the long term protection.

Guest speakers include Associate Professor and expert in the prediction of fire behaviour, Kevin Tolhurst; Chris Hardman, executive director forest and fire operations and chief fire officer for the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action; and John Mulligan, a Gypsy Point identity and strong campaigner for fuel reduction.

Ms Cooper said hazard reduction burning would create a mosaic that reduces the intensity of the next fire, and hoped the public meeting would push government to take much needed action to protect the community from another Black Summer.

For further information: thehowittsociety.com