MELBOURNE, 5 December 2023: As Victoria prepares for a hot, dry summer, multicultural communities here are being empowered to equip better to combat emergencies. Grants of $ 1.5 million are to be shared by the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria, the Burnet Institute, and the LanguageLoop to equip communities with appropriate resources and training. This was announced by Minister for Emergency Services Jaclyn Symes at a media conference.
The funding comes ahead of the fire season, with hotter temperature predicted by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). Increased fire risk has been predicted along the Surf Coast and East Gippsland and the state remains well prepared for fires, with a mix of water bombing aircraft, air supervision and air intelligence gathering aircraft positioned across the state.
On hot, dry, and windy days, fires are possible as areas dry out.
Chief Fire Officer Jason Hefferman said, ” Areas like Rockbank, Werribee, Ballarat, Warrumbul, Gellong etc. are venerable and all agencies are collectively geared up to fight any fires. Simple ways, he said, like a ‘fire plan’ is a good idea for residents in these areas.”
On a question by South Asia Times (SAT) about security of properties if residents leave homes, he said, ” There are road closures, the fire area is cordoned off and security is ensured.”
Jaclyn Symes said, ” We are giving multicultural communities in Victoria locally-led support to better plan for, respond to, and recovery from emergencies. Fire safety is everyone’s responsibility.”
It was emphasised communities should download the VicEmergency App and stay across both the Vic Emergency Website and local emergency broadcasters. And, to make a fire plan Online Fire Planner can be used.
The Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for Summer gives a national picture of the likelihood of an increased number of fires over the summer months, and can be found here: https://www.afac.com.au/auxiliary/publications/seasonal-outlook/seasonal…
