DEAR News Of The Area,

EVEN though the Mid Coast Bush Fire Risk Management Plan lists the Pindimar/Bundabah area as ‘Catastrophic’, there have been no prescribed burns (PBs) carried out over at least the last five years to reduce the bushfire hazard in the villages.

RFS produced Community Protection Plans for Pindimar/Bundabah and Tea Gardens/Hawks Nest in around 2015, none of which have been actioned.

The Sanderling Ave, Hawks Nest PB was eventually carried out around 2017 due to continued political pressure.

It is for the local community to prevail upon the RFS District Office and politicians to act.

This is how residents in Shearwater prompted three PBs in the last 15 months.

The March 2024 bushfire closed off Warri St, Pindimar for a few days and threatened to jump containment lines and wreak havoc on Pindimar.

Many RFS brigades from as far as Newcastle were called to assist the local Brigade to control the blaze and all did an exemplary job, avoiding what would otherwise have been, at least,
significant loss of property and livestock.

Current planning to conduct PBs occurs weeks in advance and therefore cannot consider changing weather conditions.

Shorter time frame planning is needed so that PBs can occur when weather conditions are optimal, and other brigades can be called upon at short notice to assist with PBs.

This is what happens in an emergency when conditions for fires are at their worst.

It’s time this precarious situation is rectified by the relevant authorities and the Pindimar Bundabah Community Association (PBCA) is calling for a meeting with relevant agencies to put a workable plan in place and the long overdue PBs to be actioned as soon as possible.

Regards,
Vivien PANHUBER,
President,
PBCA.