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Friday, March 10, 2006
Remote Valley A Death Trap - Experts  By Philip MaguireTWO of Victoria's leading bushfire experts say visitors to Wonnangatta Station would be be lucky to survive a bushfire in the remote valley. Former CSIRO scientist, David Packham OAM, now a rural fire consultant and Rod Incoll, Victoria’s former Chief Fire Officer, who visited Wonnangatta last week with Mountain Cattlemen say that fuel loads are at extreme levels. According to Liberal Upper House MP, Graeme Stoney, the experts were appalled at the condition of the former cattle station which was closed to grazing in 1988 after being purchased by the State Government. “In January the cattlemen highlighted the extreme fuel loads during their protest cattle drive into the valley," Mr Stoney said. "They had trouble droving the cattle across the open Wonnangatta flats through the grass." Another visitor, Alec Traill from Dargo, who worked on Wonnangatta Station for many years, was also in the visiting group and recalled that when the station was grazed the grass on the open valley floor was no more than four to six inches high and stayed green throughout the summer. The picture is vastly different now. Grass last week was a metre high, tinder dry and has been since the New Year. David Packham said the fire threat was among the worst that he had ever seen. He was amazed that land managers had not attempted to mitigate the threat or warn potential visitors of the extreme danger. “The only survival locations (in the valley) are inside the existing traditional hut which would probably survive the head fire, but could later burn, and the elm forest if in a car with blankets,” he said. “My conclusion is that the threat is extreme and urgent works are required to make the Valley safe. It would be very easy to burn and later mow, or better, graze the grass lands and undertake aerial prescribed burning on the forest slopes. The result would be a very safe haven in a forest that is otherwise extremely dangerous.” Don't expect Parks Victoria to take any notice, though. They are already well and truly aware of the situation. According to the folk at the Save Our Snowy blog, DSE fire officer Ewan Waller said the parks were so big it was impossible to get burns done at the one time. "Its such a massive area, you have to weigh up the risk versus resources and a number of other factors," he said. "You have to factor in a whole stack of things before an area can be burnt." Now there's a statement from a DSE representative - the parks are so big... and "it's such a massive area...." Yes, our national parks are too big - way too big. It's a dangerous game that's being played by the Victorian Government and its green supporters. Vast areas of land, far too big to manage as national parks are being locked up and left. It's a danger to the bush and a danger to the lives of people who love to spend time there. If anyone should think that the danger in Wonnangatta is being overstated they should consider that one of Victoria's oldest horse tour families who have been visiting Wonnangatta for decades will no longer take tours into the valley during February. They describe it as a death trap. Perhaps there is a hidden green agenda at work. Maybe they would like to see a few tragedies to drum into people the dangers unmanaged bushland presents to the unwary and the inexperienced. Perhaps they think such tragedies might dissuade people from going there. It's got to a point now where we really have to consider the possibility of such a hidden agenda or otherwise we have to admit that our land managers and those who formulate the policies are incredibly, almost unbelievably incompetent. Does anyone truly believe that "the science" used to justify these crazy policies is legitimate science? Philip Maguire blogs at Bundarrah Days http://bundarrahdays.blogspirit.com Blogger News Network is advertiser-supported, and your visits to our advertisers help BNN to meet its expenses. Help keep us afloat! posted by Great Divide at 3:40 PM |
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