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Whittlesea - new rules not supported by research says Bushfire CRC

RESIDENTS will be able to remove protected river red gums from Whittlesea properties without a permit under a new State Government bushfire clearing policy.

 

The policy will override a Whittlesea Council policy requiring residents to apply for a permit before clearing river red gums and other native vegetation. Residents will also be allowed to collect firewood from roadside areas earmarked for fuel-reduction burns.

Under the new rules, homeowners will not need a permit to clear:

ANY vegetation, including trees, within 10m of their house;

LOWER-LYING vegetation such as shrubs and ground fuel up to 30m from their house; and,

TREES and other vegetation up to 4m either side of their fence lines, provided they have the consent of their neighbour.

>> Will the new clearing laws help make your property fire-safe? Tell us your views below 

The new rules have provoked mixed reactions.

South Morang’s Fred Proll said the rules were a good idea and would allow residents to create a fire break around their homes.

“It’s a good idea to allow some sort of clearance,” he said.

Mr Proll’s property backs on to a Parks Victoria section of Plenty Gorge, but he doubted the authority would agree to let him clear vegetation within 4m of his fence line.

Mill Park conservationist Peter Roberts labeled the rules as a knee-jerk reaction.

“I am totally against land clearing for the sake of clearing,” he said.

“Is there any scientific proof to justify this clearing?”

Mr Roberts said river red gums were resistant to fires as long as they didn’t have wounds or holes in the base of the trunk, which would allow flames to travel up the inside of the tree.

He warned clearing would create wind tunnels that fuelled embers and created a faster-moving fire front.

National bushfire research body Bushfire CRC spokesman David Bruce said the benefit of the new rules was still unclear because there hadn’t been a lot of research done in clearing areas.

Mr Bruce said Bushfire CRC had done a survey of the types of vegetation around 1300 properties in fire-affected areas following Black Saturday. But it was difficult to give informed advice until the data was fully analysed.

Whittlesea Council chief executive David Turnbull said loss of vegetation could also trigger a range of environmental and safety impacts including landslips, erosion, damage from stormwater run-off, loss of biodiversity and reduce neighbourhood amenity.

“Council encourages residents to consider these impacts to make an informed choice specific to their property and their neighbourhood,” he said.

The changes will be in force in coming weeks. 

 

Tree clearing policy a goer in Whittlesea

08 SEP 09 @ 07:59AMhttp://whittlesea-leader.whereilive.com.au/images/style/bullet-bar-grey.gif); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: 0px 50%; "> BY MARK SMITH

http://whittlesea-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/tree-clearing-policy-a-goer-in-whittlesea/