Residents concerned at Blue Rock plantings
The bushfire threat to adjoining residential properties heads concerns of people living near Blue Rock Lake at Willow Grove over plans under consideration to re-forest area around the edge of the lake.
Despite only one week’s notice more than 100 people, about one-quarter of Willow Grove’s population, were at the meeting with Southern Rural Water that outlined processes to be undertaken before a decision was reached on whether to proceed with the tree plantings.
The Tanjil Valley Progress Association convened the meeting after what president Con Versteden said was residents “hearing a whisper” about SRW’s plans.
The areas under consideration are on the south-west edges of the lake, close to built-up areas.
The land identified by SRW is currently used for grazing and many of the residents at the meeting highlighted the lake provided a fire break from forest fires to the north.
An agreement was reached by the residents to establish a working party to further develop the case against the reforesting and plan their course of action.
Most of the residents also signed a petition against the tree plantings that Mr Versteden
said would start in May next year if the proposal proceeded.
He said part of the area under consideration included a picnic area and was also identified as a refuge area for people to gather in the event of a bushfire.
Managing director of Maffra-based SRW, Cameron FitzGerald, who was apologetic that the proposal had not previously been advised to the community, told the meeting that areas around Blue Rock and Glenmaggie lakes, both in Gippsland, and Lake Merrimu near Bacchus Marsh north-west of Melbourne, were being assessed for possible re-foresting.
He said the assessments were to find out if they were suitable locations to undertake carbon reforestation offset projects to help achieve a target of net-zero gas emissions.
Mr FitzGerald said studies by a specialist forester would start next month with a report due in July.
There will be further community consultation the following month with feedback and the expert assessments leading to a final decision in September.
The assessment would consider whether the land was suitable for forest planting, bushfire risks to the community, cultural heritage and impacts on visual amenity.
A number of people criticised SRW’s current management of land in the area where they claimed there was little maintenance and blackberries allowed to grow unchecked.
State Member for Narracan Wayne Farnham said re-foresting might also come at a financial cost to residents.
It could affect the area’s Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) and lead to higher house insurance and costs of building to meet BAL requirements that were assessed on a case by case basis.
Local CFA captain Anthony Schulz also spoke briefly about the potential bushfire threat and Baw Baw Shire’s Cr Michael Leaney, whose ward takes in the Blue Rock area, said a forest adjacent to the Willow Grove town could require changes to bushfire overlays under the planning scheme.
In a post on Facebook Cr Leaney said he attended only as an observer, as council was not involved in the proposal, also stating council had only one week’s notice of the meeting.
However, he said he would ensure dialogue between council and SRW as the proposal moved forward and encouraged community members to make contact if they wanted councillors to advocate for them.