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  • Australian bushfires

    Hi Snobbers

    I'm feeling quite safe here in suburban Adelaide, however am watching on in horror as the south coast of NSW turns to ashes - an area where I grew up, lived & worked for 35 years.

    Just hoping that everyone from the community are safe and if impacted by any potential fires to make rational, EARLY decisions. Extra-dark roasted beans can be easily replaced, whereas roasted humans can't.

    Take care everyone!

  • #2
    Having had an unwanted taste of this in Queensland we are shocked to see the extent of this disaster in NSW and Vic.
    The clear message is that if the drought continues we are all at risk in the future, regardless of where we live.
    I was listening to comments the other day that said that the rainforest is now potentially at threat as it is drier than it has been in living memory and if damaged, will take many generations to regenerate.
    One hopes that our well-paid politicians are earning their money thinking about how we will deal with the threat of continued drought and the inevitable bushfires that result.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Rocky View Post
      One hopes that our well-paid politicians are earning their money thinking about how we will deal with the threat of continued drought and the inevitable bushfires that result.
      There-in lies the most significant obstacle to achieving anything resembling anything close to the desired outcome...

      Mal.

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      • #4
        I grew up on the south coast of NSW and experienced several severe fires that included being evacuated to the beach, running around the spare block next door putting out spot fires and directly fighting fires in my teens. I don't remember seeing anything of the ferocity of the current situation. Black Saturday in 2009 wouldd have to be Australia's worst bushfire experience but the current catastrophe isn't over yet, we're only 1/3 the way into summer.
        Meanwhile our PM, while not chilling in Hawaii, is telling us everything is under control and his government's climate policies will save us. Yeah right, we can see how well that's going.
        Last edited by flynnaus; 3 January 2020, 05:57 PM. Reason: Typos

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        • #5
          Sadly more and more people are choosing to live in aesthetically pleasing highly fire prone area's without contemplating the risk, what we are now seeing is a reflection of these choices.

          "This ABC article from Dec 2018 gives some insight.
          The closer your home is to the bush, the more at risk you are. The CSIRO's life and loss database analysis of 110 years of deaths in bushfires, found that:
          • 50 per cent of deaths happened within 10 metres of a forest,
          • 78 per cent happened within 30 metres of a forest, and
          • 85 per cent happened within 100 metres of a forest."



          https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-...lives/10606144

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          • #6
            Interesting post Yelta, it's easy to forget that living in the middle of the fuel pile is dangerous even if it is picturesque.

            As someone that witnessed both Black Saturday and Ash Wednesday firsthand I often wonder why other people (and bureaucrats) memories seem so fade so fast when it comes to building near the bush. I've been guilty of it too, when we were rural house hunting 6 years ago we found some lovely places in and around natural bush which have stupid council restrictions that ban removal of dead trees and fallen timber, even on your own nature-strip/road frontage. Today, the same area has dead wood piles 4 feet high and it's uncomfortable even driving through in summer. These were also areas that were flattened by Ash Wednesday 30 years prior and again in 2006.

            Watching the current fires makes me sick in the stomach, I feel for the people and critters in the affected areas and I feel deep anger at those that stop reasonable maintenance of bush-land.

            Of course there is a very limited amount of preventative protection you can do to protect during crazy high winds and fast moving fires but doing nothing certainly hasn't worked.

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            • #7
              I seem to be having a good run of it at the moment.
              I'm an East Gippsland local prior to moving to WA, with many family members across the area.
              None of my family are in their homes at the moment, all have evacuated to safer places.
              Still I'm worried for them. How hard would it be to leave your family home of decades not knowing if you will see it again.
              Very impressed with Dan Andrews and the Vic Gov response, Fed Govt perhaps not so...

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              • #8
                Yelta, very accurate info but your 'more and more' somewhat implies the johnny come latelys are at fault. The reality is anyone who built new in the last 10 years within 100 metres of vegetation had to meet a BAL rating (Bushfire Attack Level) which goes up to 40 then has a FZ rating - flame zone. These houses have a better than average chance if the code was met properly and with forethought. The people I feel sorry for are those who bought from someone who has built prior to the last decade. People rarely gave serious consideration to the issue. I think back to my grandparents and aunties and uncles farms, not one building on their property would have survived bushfire - not the farmhouses, shearing sheds, schoolhouse or the tin machinery sheds. The poor people who buy these older properties are very unlikely to have a lazy $100k lying around to upgrade fire protection, who would?

                Totally agree with Andy, the amount of organisations and individuals who want to stop responsible land management is unbelievable. Everyone wants to live in the bush but no one wants to look at a black hillside for 6 months till the first shoots of spring come out.

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                • #9
                  Not implying 338, that's exactly what I'm saying, it's as plain as the nose on your face, the more people that choose to live in these area's the greater the number that will be adversely affected when the worst happens, similar to those who choose to live in flood prone area's.

                  We are reacting as if nothing like this has ever happened in the past, on the 16th Feb 1983, 47 people died in Victoria and 28 in South Australia in the Ash Wednesday bush fires https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_Wednesday_bushfires at the time we had 2 horses agisted on a property in the area, fortunately we were able to move them before the fire went through, so yes I have first hand knowledge, from that time on I vowed I would never live in a fire or flood prone area.

                  I suspect in the future insurance companies will not cover risk in these area's or, if they do the premiums will be so high as to be out of reach for the average person.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by flashpixx View Post
                    None of my family are in their homes at the moment, all have evacuated to safer places.
                    Really sorry to hear their lives are upside down flashpixx but super happy to know they were smarter than those that think a garden hose is some sort of protection of replaceable material things.

                    We had a Vic Emergency warning at home a couple of weeks ago, the first alert we got was basically "you're stuffed, too late to leave" which wasn't quite true as the wind was still blowing in the wrong direction and we have North, South and East exit roads as the fire was running about 8km parallel to the West of us. Miles of open farm land between us and because the wheat had just been cut, there was a foot of stubble that the fire was tearing through. No roads in there and some rough terrain but the CFA got on top of it late that night before the wind change but it took 3 days to put it out even with water bombers refilling from B-Double tankers at the local airport (5km away). It was a sleepless night with the horse float hooked-up and animals herded into the small yard ready to drive away. It's the closest we have been to saying goodbuy to the house and certainly our most nervous and that's just a 3 day matchstick compared to the month long bonfire to the North of Gippsland.

                    Hopefully the southerly is helping the Gippsland fires burn back on itself and gives a window of reprieve for those fighting it.

                    Dan Andrews and the Vic Gov response
                    ...but Dodgy Dan only got interested when the ski fields caught alight, Buchan and Eastern Vic have been burning for a week but there are bugger-all votes out that way.

                    I don't expect anything more real from any of the pollies except a daily highvis/hardhat photo op. These are the same pollies that banned cattle grazing in the high country and the cattlemen were the only ones managing the bush and access trails (for free too!).

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                    • #11
                      Hi Yelta, I see your point. I think these fires feel a little different. In previous catastrophic fires we thought things were dry, but it doesn't sem as dry as this. My brother and his family live in Huskisson on the nsw south coast. They are in town 200m from the beach but back onto the golf course. Probably one or two km on the other side of the golf course there is a lot of scrub. He has been getting cold embers and burnt leaves for a fortnight covering the yard and house.

                      Last night the RFS invited the residents of the street to leave. This is a little seaside vilage, not really the bush or a farm. We argued this morning as the streets males are staying and have sent their families away, I didn't really agree. At least the street made a pact to leave the moment they start losing against the spot fires. The point is the area is green but not much more than my suburb, I live 2100m from the flags on the centre of the Harbour Bridge. These are unusual times.

                      I have friends in the town of Bermagui, two days thefe we suggesting people evacuate to Bermagui, today they were told to evacuate from Bermagui. Again they are in town. Unusual times.

                      The thing to be most grateful for is the loss of life is so low given the size of the firefronts

                      Andy, sorry to read about the close call. Good luck

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                      • #12
                        Some observations. The infringement into the bush and into farming land as our runaway immigration continues unabated is a major problem.

                        No reservour has been built in Victoria since 1979...the population has probably doubled since then.
                        Many homes lost in the black Saturday fires in Victoria, in which 170 people tragically died, were in bush settings and without house insurance. Can you imagine the stupidity of that. And they then expect the government/community to rebuild their house.

                        I live in a very urban setting with no danger of bushfires yet pay $1000 a year for insurance without fail.

                        Greenies are quick to scream "climate change" as the demon responsible for everything...But in their blind wisdom scream just as loud at any suggestion the forest floor needs clearing of excess fuel.

                        And they want to wring every ounce of political mileage from what really is a tragedy...a tragedy we have had before and will have again.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by robusto View Post
                          Some observations. The infringement into the bush and into farming land as our runaway immigration continues unabated is a major problem.

                          No reservour has been built in Victoria since 1979...the population has probably doubled since then.
                          Many homes lost in the black Saturday fires in Victoria, in which 170 people tragically died, were in bush settings and without house insurance. Can you imagine the stupidity of that. And they then expect the government/community to rebuild their house.

                          I live in a very urban setting with no danger of bushfires yet pay $1000 a year for insurance without fail.

                          Greenies are quick to scream "climate change" as the demon responsible for everything...But in their blind wisdom scream just as loud at any suggestion the forest floor needs clearing of excess fuel.

                          And they want to wring every ounce of political mileage from what really is a tragedy...a tragedy we have had before and will have again.
                          I gave this a like Robusto, not because I like whats happening but I agree with your logic.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Robusto, 100% correct.


                            Ps they also shaft us in the city for insurance also, haven't seen sub $1k for at least a couple of decades. Not that it helps to know we all pay heavily. I just hope they pay promptly to those in need.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              338, on a side note, car insurance used to reduce as the car aged...now it keeps going up without fail despite the car's value reducing. When you challenge the insurance companies they give a pro-forma BS response about risks in our area rising. Really? Yet I've never made a claim for decades--aren't you insuring my risk as much as the car?

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