Community Contact: Victor Trofimovs
Email: victrof@live.com.au
CONSULTING WITH RAYMOND
ISLANDERS ON MANAGING THE RISK OF BUSHFIRES
Over the last six months there has been a lot of discussion amongst
Raymond Island residents about fuel reduction, to help minimise the risk of
bush fire.
Raymond Island is a unique situation with homes and properties
surrounded by natural bushland. Raymond Island is also unique because of our
diverse population who are very passionate about our island life and very
emotional about the way Government authorities and locals look after it.
A working group has been formed to engage the community about the fuel
reduction program. This will allow residents, holiday makers and renters to be
informed, in a non-confrontational way, about this very important situation
which will no doubt be upon us in the near future.
The group consists of Raymond Island locals, Government representatives
and an independent facilitator:
Name
|
Role / Responsibility
|
Dave Munday
|
Independent
facilitator who will chair each meeting and basically keep us on track and
make sure we don’t divert from the task in hand.
|
Jack Pearce
|
Represents
the Raymond Island Community Association (RICA) and the community-based,
emergency preparation working group (EmPrep) to oversee the consultation on
the island’s risk.
|
Andrew Bould
|
Resident of
the island for over 50 years, expert on fire history of the island,
interested in the environment and local flora and fauna.
|
Victor Trofimovs
|
Property
owner for 15 years and now lives here permanently. Has been operating a
tourism business on the island for one year as and has a genuine interest in
the community and the environment. He will report to the RI Landcare group and
is the acting coordinator for the group.
|
Susie Pulis
|
Manages the
Raymond Island Koala and Wildlife Shelter, and here as part of the group to
gather information to provide to the community and work out how best to
consult with the community.
|
Varo Dharmarajah
|
Resident of
the island and interested in the local environment and preventing bushfires.
|
Brian Joshua
|
Resident
for 10 years, farming background, interested in the island and being part of
this group that will plan the consultation with the community.
|
Mick Beckers (currently standing in
for Brad Fisher)
|
Department
of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) Fire Management Officer
based in Bairnsdale, overseeing fuel management and bushfire risk management
on Crown land managed by Parks Victoria and DELWP, and to oversee the
associated consultation process.
|
Catherine Burton
|
DELWP Community
Engagement Facilitator based in Bairnsdale whose role is to support this
process and provide administrative support to this group.
|
Jeremy Tscharke
|
Parks
Victoria Area Chief Ranger for Lakes & Eastern ALPS, managing public land
on RI with the Gunaikurnai.
|
Grattan Mullett
|
Gunaikurnai
Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC) Joint Management Coordinator
taking care of all Registered Aboriginal Party matters and works with other
land managers on jointly managed land.
|
The key roles of the consultation group are:
-
Compile the evidence based information for
community dissemination
-
dissemination of information to the community
about risk g
- gathering information/feedback from the community
- gathering information/feedback from the community
-
conveying the government’s negotiables and non-negotiables
-
organising the consultation activities e.g. forum / workshop / meetings.
Key themes and detail
The following broad themes and
detail were identified as at the core of the consultation:
RISK
-
Understanding the risk assessment process.
-
What is the actual risk vs the perceived risk?
(Consider survey, LIMP planning.)
-
What evidence is used to decide what areas are
to be treated?
ECOLOGY
-
What are the effects of the various fuel
management techniques on the flora / fauna / ecosystem?
-
What research is available from very similar /
like habitats?
-
What are the effects of fuel management on
bracken?
-
How will wildlife be considered in the fuel
management process?
PROTECTING SIGNIFICANT SITES
-
What are the significant sites that require
protection and management options, e.g. cultural, heritage, environmental?
JOINT MANAGEMENT PRIORITIES
-
What are the other priorities held by the
Gunaikurnai / GLaWAC for this area of jointly managed estate?
RECOVERY
-
What recovery process would be put in place
after fuel management treatment?
RESEARCH
-
What other research has been undertaken in
similar habitats?
NON-NEGOTIABLES
-
What are the Government’s legislative
non-negotiables?
The community contact for more information is Victor Trofimovs, email: victrof@live.com.au.
Project updates will be made available on the website and at the ferry shelter
noticeboard.
People can register with the website to receive information updates.
Victor Trofimovs
Raymond Island Risk Management Community Group
