The Howitt Society, Media Release, 17 September 2023

The Howitt Society are concerned at the lack of broadscale fuel management operations in East Gippsland over the past four years post the 2019/20 fires.

With the forecast of higher than usual fire danger in East Gippsland, due to drought conditions, there is the prospect of serious fires again in East Gippsland in the near future.

There are lessons to be learnt from the events of 2019/20 which led to devasting outcomes for towns such as Mallacoota, Wairewa, Buchan and Sarsfield where there had been inadequate fuel management prior to the fires.

A public meeting has been convened at Mallacoota to discuss the issue of the long term protection of the townships and the forests of East Gippsland.

The aim of the Mallacoota meeting is to increase public awareness of the urgent need for fuel management over extensive areas to protect Mallacoota and other towns throughout Gippsland from future events similar to 2019/20 and to protect the broader forest areas from the potential of another devasting fire event similar to 2019’20.

• Date: Thursday 5 October 2023
• Venue: Meeting room at Mallacoota District Health & Support Service (MIVA Centre) Genoa-Mallacoota Road Cnr, Mattsson St, Mallacoota Vic 3892
• Time: 2pm – 4pm

Speakers

• Chris Hardman – Executive Director Forest and Fire Operations and Chief Fire Officer for the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action
• Associate Professor Kevin Tolhurst – School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, Melbourne University – who is a renowned expert in the prediction of fire behaviour  – particularly as related to fuel loads
• John Mulligan – long term resident of East Gippsland and former Chairman of the East Gippsland Wildfire Taskforce

There will be an open forum after the speakers where community members have the opportunity to ask questions of the speakers and potentially frame resolutions from the meeting.

This public meeting should be of interest to all East Gippslanders who felt threatened by the 2019-2020 fires.

Further information: Howitt Society Secretary Garry Squires 0417 588 210