Meetings about bush fire plan

The Gosford Bush Fire Management Committee will host a series of meetings to gather community input into the development of a Bush Fire Risk Management Plan.

Community meetings have been planned for various areas including Killcare, Patonga and the Bays.

District manager for Gosford Rural Fire Service and executive officer of the management plan superintendent Tony Marsh said bush fires were an integral part of the natural Australian and Central Coast environment.

"The Gosford Bush Fire Management Committee comprises of a range of stakeholders who are working together to prepare, coordinate, review and monitor the district's Bush Fire Risk Management Plan," superintendent Marsh said.

"The draft plan will soon be on public display and an opportunity currently exists for the community to have their say."

Superintendent Marsh said the Bush Fire Risk Management Plan was a comprehensive document that mapped and described the level of bush fire risk across an area, and identified the assets at risk and established treatment options to safeguard assets and areas.

He said the plan was used to determine such things as where mechanical clearing or hazard reduction burns are conducted, which areas require specialised fire protection and which areas need to be targeted for community education.

"The committee is seeking community involvement to finalise the draft plan and a number of community meetings will be held to get valuable input from the locals," superintendent Marsh said.

The first community meeting will be held at the Maitland Bay Centre on Tuesday, February 2, from 7.30pm.

Patonga Beach Rural Fire Service station will host another meeting from 9.30am on Saturday, February 13, with a second meeting on the same day at the Bays Rural Fire Brigade station from 2pm.

Information regarding the progress of the plan can be found on the Gosford RFS web site at www.gosford.rfs.nsw.gov.au

Press release, 22 Jan 2010 Gosford Council Media