Thanks to police for our trailer’s return

Approximately 3am early Saturday morning in September, our 4.5m x 2.1m flatbed tandem trailer (value $4000) was stolen from our business site in Yarragon, along with the Cafe next door’s trailer.

The tandem appeared for sale on buy swap sell several weeks later with some modification, but still recognisable.

We contacted the Trafalgar Police who acted swiftly, Sargeant Andrea Kleeven with a senior constable from Warragul came to our premises and gathered information.

With the aid of Morwell CIU the trailer was recovered and the suspect apprehended.

We wish to thank Sargeant Kleeven and the police members for their due diligence in following through the investigation and the successful return of our trailer.

Paul Christian, Yarragon occurred here would have been minimised.

The last bushfires in Garfield North were in the 1930s and the undergrowth which had since accumulated on the forest floor was impassable, providing an enormous fuel load. Sadly, a similar perfect storm is currently brewing in many areas of Victoria.

Last week our committee met with the Commissioner for Emergency Services, Andrew Crisp who acknowledged the need for regular consultation with local residents on forest management.

Locals have first-hand knowledge of the forest, accompanying wind patterns and potential fire paths. The CRC welcomed the Commissioners words. Victoria is extremely fortunate to have a person of the calibre of Commissioner Crisp who is inclusive, listens and is not afraid to act.

This year the NSW Government purchased a Boeing 737-309 under a 10 year $23ml lease. The deal came from the Canadian Firm, Coulson Aviation Crew. This Boeing jet can drop 15,100 litres of water or gel on a fire, or lay in front of a fire the same amount of retardant, while helicopters drop 3,000 litres.

he Federal Government has committed $50 billion for 12 Attack Class submarines. By contrast a Boeing was leased for defence of the home front.

In Australia and particularly for us living in Victoria the real war right now is bushfires. Climate change or whatever you want to call what is going on is now a war. We need to invest in the fight as much as we do in our armed forces.

Why isn’t there similar strategic thinking and indeed the same kind of resource pool made available to fight the war that is right now in our back yards? Why aren’t insurance companies also contributing proactively to provide equipment and resources to fight fires? Preventative action might actually help to reduce their massive payouts. Reaction rather than pro-action seems to be the current mindset.

Apart from the horrific loss of life on Black Saturday that fire resulted in $4.5 billion worth of damage.

Eight months after the March 2019 Bunyip Complex Fires the cumbersome process used by the State and Federal governments to pay for the damage here moves at a glacial pace. The money to help fund the recovery still hasn’t been released.

Again, where is the management - where is the coordination?

There is no doubt the Black Saturday Royal Commission recommendations saved lives in the Bunyip Fires.

However, we can do better. Many recommendations designed to minimise fire spread and damage have never been implemented in spite of the many taxpayer dollars used to generate them.

Ten years on there has been no progress on eliminating the mobile phone black spots, yet we are only 80ks from Melbourne.

The world has changed and a national response is urgently required. Insurance companies and the government need to wake from their slumber and actually start contributing to a preventative approach. This requires a massive war chest to fight the ever-present, potential horror that awaits the many future victims of the deadly combination of fires and poor planning.

Tony Fitzgerald

Chairman

Community Recovery Committee

A bouquet to the Client Services women at Findex for always being such a delight and having a positive outlook on their work and life.

Bricks to the mayor and all, but two, councillors for neither acknowledging, nor reading, correspondence sent to them. Another glaring example of how they pick and choose who they are willing to represent. to give up driving for health reasons or age related illnesses.

More train or bus services between Bairnsdale and Traralgon would be a start with a linking service to Morwell that does not mean a two hour trip from Sale to Morwell.

Give rural communities hope of future growth and look after them by improving the necessary essential infrastructure such as transport.

There will be also a flow on for health and education. Mental health is improved with hope on the horizon and opening up options provides this.

Once the rural sectors in all states are decimated by neglect, then the impact will be felt in the larger urban populations. Be warned.

Ilana Leeds, Jeeralang Junction

Bouquets to the combined Warragul Municipal and Salvation Army bands who despite the biting wind and drizzling rain presented a moving musical commemoration of Armistice at the Warragul Cenotaph on Sunday.