General News
25 March, 2025
Review to probe fires
A public meeting at Willaura on March 26 will review the recent Grampians fires, seeking better protection of public and private assets in and around the Grampians National Park.
The Grampians Asset Protection Group will host the meeting.
The Grampians region in Western Victoria has been hit hard in the past 12 months with fires in February 2024 and then again in December 2024 and January 2025; the majority of the National Park was destroyed in the most recent fires.
With much of the Park burnt and significant damage to adjacent private property, the Grampians Asset Protection Group (GAP) will host four speakers at this meeting, including landowners and representatives from the CFA and Forest Fire Management.
GAP secretary and Howitt Society President Peter Flinn said the main objective of the meeting was to push for more effective and timely fire prevention, including both broad-scale fuel reduction and rehabilitation of fire-breaks.
Mr Flinn said that GAP, which was set up following the major 2006 Grampians fire, and the Howitt Society, with a similar but State-wide role, both continue to strongly advocate for a significant increase in fuel reduction burning on public land, using mild fire at the right time.
"Rapid suppression is vital in dangerous fire weather, but a response-only strategy, as favoured by some environmentalists, would be disastrous," Mr Flinn said.
"Prevention is better than cure and also makes more economic sense."
Mr Flinn said the Willaura meeting would focus on constructive outcomes rather than looking for scapegoats.
"There is community anger at the damage caused by the fires, whether to livestock and fencing, native flora and fauna, or effects on businesses," he said.
"In particular, the path of the Yarram Gap fire was eerily similar to that of 2006 in so many ways, and it begs the question as to whether we have learned from history.
"However, we must now focus on the future and fight even harder for governments to get serious about fire prevention, as the alternative is more of the same."
Lynden Brewis Willaura North and Alister Beveridge Mirranatwa are landowners and will share their experiences.
CFA Brett Boatman, Deputy Chief Officer, Western Region FFMV Glenn Rudolph, Senior Program Manager, Forest and Fire Management, DEECA, will also address the meeting.
There will be an open forum to follow, with the opportunity to ask questions of the speakers and/or suggest resolutions from the meeting.
The meeting will held on Wednesday, March 26, beginning at 2pm in the Willaura Memorial Hall.
While no lives were lost, the tourism dollars dried up, and businesses lost most of their Christmas/New Year trade, which they depend on.
This was the second time they had to close their doors in 12 months.
Combined Federal and State government funding of $29 million announced in March has been criticised by local members of parliament, Member for Lowan Emma Kealy and Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster, as being too little too late.
Member for Lowan and Deputy Leader, The Nationals, Emma Kealy, is expected to attend.