More fuel reduction on public land was a key demand from a bushfire meeting at Mallacoota last week, attended by some 130 people, mainly from East Gippsland.
The meeting, organised by the Howitt Society, sought to focus on the question: "Are Mallacoota and East Gippsland  in general prepared for another major fire?"
A resolution, passed overwhelmingly, was "That this meeting requests The Howitt Society to recommend to government that the current Safer Together policy, which focuses on burning strategically to protect assets, be extended to a broad-based approach, aiming for a minimum of five per cent of Victoria's public land being fuel-reduced annually, as per Recommendation 56 of the 2009 Bushfires Royal Commission."
This change is essential to lessen the ember attack caused by high intensity fire some distance from the assets.
The recommendation also recognises the forest itself is an asset which needs to be protected using regular low in-tensity fire, in order to maintain forest health and protect environmental values within the forest including flora, fauna, soil and water.

IMAGE: Last Thursday’s bushfire meeting at Mallacoota asked the question: “Are Mallacoota and East Gippsland in general prepared for another major fire?” The meeting, organised by the Howitt Society, discussed the Black Summer Bushfires, which heavily impacted Mallacoota, and how it could have been prevented.