News
Putting in a good plug for fire plugs
Water, CFA and emergency authorities in the Bass Coast region are preparing for the next fire season with an overhaul of fire plug maintenance.
Residents are being asked to help keep the council-owned plugs in good condition by ensuring they are not removed, damaged or overgrown.Representatives from Westernport Water, Bass Coast Shire Council and the CFA met last Wednesday to plan ongoing maintenance and upgrades for the 1250 plugs throughout the area covered by Westernport Water.
They agreed to share maps and maintenance reports on the fire plugs within the municipality.
The meeting jointly asked for the help of locals in maintaining the vital emergency tools.
“We have reports of landowners removing fireplugs from their property and others who have planted trees to obscure them. This makes the task of fighting fires more difficult and could jeopardise lives and property in an emergency,” the group warned.
Bass Coast Shire Council has agreed to continue with the annual inspection of fire plug pits and to ensure that they can be easily found, and that any faulty fire plugs are reported and fixed “in a reasonable time frame”.
Those attending the meeting at Westernport Water’s headquarters included Council officers Peter Laydon, Paul Lennox and James Bremner, along with CFA representative Damien O’Connor. Attending for Westernport Water were Chris Buck, Geoff Allum and Peter Winterburn.
The areas of responsibility covered by the group include community safety, mapping, fire services, maintenance, planning and risk management.
The group will meet again in May and has agreed that the collaboration should be ongoing.