Attachment 1

Director Operations Report No. 4/07

Minutes 28 February 2007

Minutes Singleton & Muswellbrook Bush Fire Management Committee - 28 February, 2007

 

 

Singleton and Muswellbrook Bush Fire Management Committee Joint Meeting

Singleton Council Committee Room

Wednesday 28th February 2007

 

Meeting opened at 9.32am by Chairperson: Councillor Sue Moore Singleton Council

 

Present:

Gary Woodman                        Singleton Council

Michael Brett                            Executive Officer, RFS

Keith Lobb                               RFS Fire Mitigation Officer

John Pearce                              RFS (Volunteer)

John Hedley                             NSW Farmers

Colin Scriven                            RFS (Volunteer)

Ray Butchard                          Muswellbrook Council

Tim Fox                                  NSWFB

Chris Cotter                            Thales Myambat

Graham Smith                        Dept of Environment & Conservation

Sue Moore                             Singleton Council

Colin Frew                             Lands

Paul McBeath                        Lands

Martin Siemsen                      RFS Community Safety Officer

Matt Kauter                            ARTC

Graeme O’Brien                     RFS (Volunteer)

Malcolm Draper                      RFS (Volunteer)

Michael Judge                        Energy Australia

 

Apologies:

Mike Pryjma                            Forests NSW

R Cullen                                   Macquarie Generation

John Colvin                              Muswellbrook Council

Dave Field                              Transgrid

Barrie Griffiths              Nature Conservation Council of NSW

Chris Gidney                          Muswellbrook Council

Darren Fogarty             Range Control

Minutes of Previous Meeting held on Wednesday 15th November 2007

 

Moved       Ray Butchard     

Seconded   John Hedley     

Carried

 

Business Arising from Minutes: Michael Brett said that Sean Greenwood had completed the section 52 Operations Plan that it had been endorsed by the Bush Fire Coordinating Committee and copies are on the table.

Ray Butchard asked about the Edderton Road roadside grazing issue? Michael Brett said that the Hunter Rural Lands Protection Board will not waive grazing fee and council support the roadside grazing in principle but are aware that it may impact threatened species. Both the RLPB and council support idea of roadside grazing.   Ray asked who is proposing to graze. Michael said the persons leasing the land from Anglo Coal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-2-

 

Correspondence:

(Incoming))

Successful applicants for funding through the Commonwealth Bushfire Mitigation Program.

Martin told the committee that the Dept of Lands have received funding for the Reedy creek, Melon Creek Trails.

 

Letter from Wombat station at Kerrabee re: rail level crossings in the area.

 

(Outgoing)

Letter to Muswellbrook council re Fuel Reduction grazing arrangements Edderton Road. This has been discussed in business arising.

 

Discussion Topics

 ‘Planning for Bushfire Protection’ (PBP) 2006 Gazettal

 Martin told the meeting Planning for Bushfire Protection 2006 has now been signed off by the minister. The new document will streamline DA approvals; also there will be a tightening of the way bushfire consultants give advice. Some RFS staff have received training. There will be information sessions for council staff.  The revised PBP has been agreed to by wide range of agencies and although some still have issues with the document all have agreed to the changes.

 

 

Reports

RFS

 Michael Brett introduced the two new RFS volunteer representatives to the committee. Group Captain Graeme O’Brien and Captain Mal Draper are replacing Captain Glen Shearer and Deputy Captain Ernie Bendiech. The two representatives for Muswellbrook remain the same. Michael suggested a letter of thanks be sent to Glen and Ernie. That was moved by Sue Moore and seconded by Michael Brett. Carried.

 Since the last meeting there has been a large fire in the Wollemi national park requiring the declaration of section 44 of the Rural Fires Act. This occurred in November and early December however fire activity is now decreasing. The RFS took delivery of a prime mover yesterday. This will enable greater usage of the 30,000litre bulk water carrier that has been stored in Singleton for many years. Next job will be to get the truck painted and a pool of drivers organised.

Ray Butchard asked if the police had been invited to the meeting. Michael said that Ops Officer Sean Greenwood was to speak to the local commander. Keith said that he had sent a meeting notification to Insp Graham Parker at Singleton police station. Sue Moore said that police should be at the meeting.

Martin said that the area’s Community Education Strategy for the coming year is due by the end of March. All members of the BFMC are invited to have an input in to the document. Contact Martin for further information. Also the Australasian Education & Fire Awareness Conference & Expo is on this May in Newcastle. This conference has grown to an international level with speakers from interstate and overseas. The area’s Bushfire Risk Management Plan is due for update next year. We will be seeking input from all agencies during this process.

Keith Lobb advised the committee on the activities of the Community Education volunteer committee since the last BFMC meeting. 

 

 

NSWFB

Inspector Tim Fox introduced himself. He is from the zone office in Bathurst.

 

 

NPWS

Grahame Smith showed the committee an activity sheet on the amount of personnel days and hours that have been committed to fire fighting this summer. He said they had sent crews to many parts of the state in support of local crews. Grahame was asked about the cost of aircraft. He said that the cost of running NPWS support helos was about $6,000,000. Michael Brett said that the cost of aircraft during the November S44 totalled more the $10,000,000. Grahame said the cost had to be considered against the effect the fire would have against community infrastructure.

 

 Dept of Lands

Colin Frew and Paul McBeath said that the Dept of Lands has received Commonwealth funding for works on the Melon Creek and Reedy Creek trail in Muswellbrook LGA. These trails will now be called the Manobalia complex. Asset Protection Zone works will be conducted in Possum Gully at Muswellbrook.

 

ARTC

Matt Kauter said ARTC are currently doing a small amount of vegetation management works in the rail corridor. A question was asked why vegetation management burning is not still being done. Michael Brett said volunteers cannot work for money and the costs to the RFS outgrew the rewards and that RFS insurance will not cover volunteers carrying out this role. Michael Judge reminded everyone of the induction process that would have to be completed before entry to a rail corridor.

 

Army

Chris Cotter from Thales Myambat said they were planning some hazard reductions this winter. Wild’s plant hire had prepared containment lines. Will talk to the RFS about doing some joint burning.

 

NSW Farmers

John Hedley told the meeting of the dry conditions and that water storage in farm dams is extremely low.

 

General Business:

 Michael Brett spoke about the suspension of permits before Christmas due to high fire activity, and threw open the subject to the committee for comment. Sue Moore asked What is the current situation?

Michael Brett said landholders must notify neighbours 24 hours beforehand. There have been a number of 000 calls made about fires running away from its source. Martin Siemsen said that permit holders must notify the RFS 24hours prior as the RFS may suggest when the weather conditions will be suitable for burning.

John Pearce suggested that we need to resume issuing permits as fuel loads are building up. Michael Brett said that it is still too unsafe to conduct broad acre burning, only piles and a letter to this effect should be sent out to permit officers. Bush Fire danger period should cease on 31 March anyway.

 Grahame Smith said that as long as landholders have a containment strategy in place prior to commencing any burning operations. It was resolved that the RFS manager will send a memo to all brigade officers and permit issuing officers advising of the restricted burning activity.

 

Michael Brett tabled a letter from Wombat station at Kerrabee, in regard to closure of rail level crossings in the area, and asked what is the intent of the rail crossing closures.

Matt Kauter from ARTC said that redundant crossings are being removed and to do this ARTC must consult the local council, RTA and property owners. These crossing identified are ones where the public’s safety is compromised. On the Gulgong line there are 190 level crossings along the 160km’s of track and for any that are removed there will always be an alternative route. Wombat station issue had been sorted out.

Graeme O’Brien asked about community consultation. Matt said they liaise with property owners when rationalising the number of crossings.

Michael Brett said that the RFS must be informed of crossing closure locations as we need to be aware of access to properties and these changes affect a number of agencies and it is imperative that we all know.

Sue Moore asked Will these changes be gazetted? Matt said yes. Sue: Could you use signage to direct people to the nearest crossing?

Michael Judge said they have access issues all the time.

Michael Brett said if there is a fire and we need to get in, we notify Broadmeadow. Matt said that level crossing signs have Broadmeadow’s phone number on them and that a video survey of the Gulgong – Sandy Hollow line is being done now.

Ray Butchard and John Pearce asked if the larger and longer trains affect more crossings, John said that there is one crossing at Kerrabee where the sides are too steep and fire tankers found an underground crossing as to gain access to a fire.

Sue Moore asked if the survey has been completed?

Matt said the survey is still taking place.

Michael Brett asked if the survey is still taking place and if John Pearce could be involved? Matt said he could.

Graeme O’Brien asked if stock management had been considered. Matt said special crossings were not viable.

Martin asked Matt if he could make data available for the location of crossings so they could be included on the BFMC Firetrail database? Matt said he would.

 

Martin said that the Fire Trail Register is up to date and would like to move this process on to the next level. Identify funding, fire fighting planning operations can be linked together to enable a greater chance of funding.

Gary Woodman asked can we find fire trail funding for Cassells Road. Martin said he would chase this up. Michael Brett said that we could make it a fire trail and then lock it. Colin Frew said that they will be locking all fire trails on crown lands.

 

Graeme O’Brien asked Gary Woodman about the recent Emergency Risk Management process recently undertaken by Muswellbrook and Singleton. Gary said that the community consultation is one of many ways of collecting information. All emergency management agencies will be providing submissions.

Martin suggested that there is new Aust standard for Risk Management Strategies. Gary said they are working to it now eg National park estate of 500,000 ha, people say a burn rate of once in 5yrs, but in reality the average may be once in 20yrs. Under the old process this will be high, now will be extreme. Martin said that the community education process may reduce this rating. Those rural residents have a better understanding of fire, rural areas may be high and the extremities may be extreme. Gary said that a number of senior RFS members attended the community meetings as residents and that the new emergency process should parallel the new Bush fire Risk Management Plan.

Michael Brett said that using the risk matrix needs to be put in prospective. Community meetings are now being used to improve the flow of information. 

 

Ray Butchard spoke about the number of aircraft that operate in and out of and overfly the Hunter Valley. Treasury are cutting back funding for emergency management exercises.

Martin said that this year disaster funding will be further reviewed.

 

Tim Fox spoke about a fire that one of their brigades attended, on a rural property in southern NSW. There was 65mm storz coupling connected to poly pipe which had melted in the fire. Thus making the coupling useless. Also that at another incident, vibration from a portable pump had destroyed the connection to the fire fighting water supply.

 Martin said that under the new Planning for Bushfire Protection (PBP) 2006, it is a condition that all above ground connections be metal, including ball valves and pipes. That heat resistant firefighting water supply tanks were not included in Australian Standard 3959

 

There being no further general business, the meeting was closed at 11:40am by Chairperson, Councillor Sue Moore

 

 

NEXT MEETING:    WEDNESDAY 23rd May 2007 at 9.30 am. In the Committee Room at Muswellbrook Council.