BlazeAid seeing the job through

Following the disastrous Bunyip complex fires, where over 600km of fences were lost, BlazeAid established a camp at the Bunyip Recreation Reserve and commenced assisting in the recovery of fire affected properties on March 12.

A total of 165 properties registered with BlazeAid for assistance with fence clearing and replacement. 450 volunteers have registered to assist with this task.

It has been a major exercise in logistics to keep the camp running and the volunteers on the fence lines. This is a great example of a community coming together to help those who require help and the selfless dedication from all volunteers whether they are on the fence lines or providing the catering and administrative support that keeps the team functioning.

Importantly, BlazeAid has also been extremely well catered for by many community groups from Bunyip and surrounding districts.

Since March 12, BlazeAid volunteers have cleared 255km of fence lines and installed 55km of replacement fences.

Clearly, there is still much to do, and BlazeAid is determined to see the job through.

If anyone would like to assist with this task, please feel free to drop into the Bunyip Recreation Reserve and register as a volunteer.

Again, on behalf of BlazeAid, many thanks to all who have given their time to help affected property owners rebuild.

John Anderson, BlazeAid coordinator trees that use the rain water falling on that particular area of the catchment.

How this is done is critical to increase catchment runoff. We know the number of stems "individual trees" growing in a wet old growth rain forest is approximately 50 stems per hectare spread through their part of the catchment. The forest age being well over 100 years of age. So we need to change from clear felling type harvesting, which is drying out catchments, to thinning, leaving an even spread of tree canopy which shades the ground.

I would propose this thinning starts when the replanted ash forests reaches 20 years of age, thinned to 100 stems per hectare then again thinned to 5O stems per hectare from 60 to 80 years old. Then remaining forest can left to become a true old growth rainforest which yields most ofthe rain which falls on its catchment to flow down its mountain streams into the lowlands with all its various water uses.

In the make up of that 20 year old ash forest there would also be various types of understory such as silver wattle, a useful plant used to make paper. By thinning at 20 years of age it would mean less stems using rain fall, therefore more run off. Also the remaining for est would grow faster with less competition for light and moisture.

By ceasing the clear felling of our post 1939 ash forest and reverting to thinning it to SO stems per hectare, at 60 years of age then leaving the remaining forest to become a true old growth wet rainforest, there would still be saw logs available! Then that combined with the thinnings from the 20 year old forest would supply the timber industry. This means a win win by creating both a timber and water yielding forest. Wally Brown, Piedmont