Bushfire set to be water bombed

Dan Harrison and Ari Sharp, The Age
November 18, 2007

FIRE services will use water-bombing helicopters today to attack a blaze that threatens the catchment area around Melbourne's largest dam.

Department of Sustainability and Environment state duty officer Mark Woodman said lightning strikes sparked 20 fires across the state yesterday, including a two-hectare blaze at the northern edge of the Thomson Dam, the city's most important source of drinking water.

Firefighters were unable to get close to the area last night because of the difficult terrain but said they were confident of containing the fire this morning.

More lightning strikes are forecast and are expected to start new fires.

Firefighters will also attack six fires in East Gippsland, three in the Mallee west of Hattah and one near Marysville, north-east of Melbourne.

Mild conditions are expected today but the fire danger is forecast to rise tomorrow and Tuesday.

Mr Woodman said it was was a worrying sign for the summer that so many fires were burning in Gippsland, which suffered flooding rains recently.

"It just shows how dry it is underneath it all," he said.

Gippsland also suffered badly during the last bushfire season.

Meanwhile, the Country Fire Authority said several grass fires broke out near Shepparton, with a hayshed razed along with 50 hectares of grass and scrub on Goughs Range Road at Tarrengower.

"With the rain that we have had in patches around the state, there's obviously some grass in areas which can burn . . . so lightning that does strike risks a greater potential of creating fire," CFA communications controller Scott Hamilton said.

We need red gums not dead gums to protect the Murray

The Age Letters 16^th Nov 2007

The detail of the leaked Department of Sustainability and Environment Report "70% of river red gums in decline" (14-11-07) confirms what anyone who has spent time on the banks of the Murray has known for some time – the red gum ecosystem is on the brink of collapse.

As an ecosystem, our red gums work more like wetlands than forests, so environmental flows like those recommended by the Victorian Environment Assessment Commision (VEAC) but rejected by Premier Brumby last month to pump 4000 gigalitres over five years is crucial to their survival.

VEAC’s other excellent recommendations, to establish 106,000 hectares of new red gum National Parks, reduce logging by over 60% and phase out grazing are based on strong science and will give this ecosystem a fight chance, but without a serious drink soon, these measures won’t count for much long term.

We must get over the view that environmental flows are wasted water with no economic benefit. The health of the Murray requires healthy red gum wetlands – this is the life blood of the agricultural sector in its catchment and the tourism sector which is so critical to towns like Swan Hill and Echuca.

There are no jobs on a dead river Premier Brumby, so your regional development mantra must include long term vision. VEAC has made outstanding recommendations to save river red gum wetlands, a critical environmental and economic outcome for Victoria. I urge you to adopt them.

Gavan McFadzean