Victorians will have easier access to fire information and warnings under a set of new, uniform boundaries that will help boost fire safety, Minister for Police and Emergency Services Bob Cameron said today.
Mr Cameron said nine new Total Fire Ban (TFB) district boundaries will align with the Fire Danger Ratings (FDR), Victorian Bureau of Meteorology weather districts and local government areas.
“The increase from five to nine Total Fire Ban districts will make it easier for all Victorians to interpret the Fire Danger Rating and determine whether their area is subject to a fire ban,” Mr Cameron said.
“Local government areas will also fall inside these new boundaries, so it’s important for all Victorians to familiarise themselves with the changes ahead of the approaching fire season.
“When the CFA declares a total fire ban, under these new districts, it will cover the same area as other important information such as the Fire Danger Ratings.
“This approach will reduce confusion and lead to clearer and simpler information and warnings and create greater public awareness of these very important factors.”
Mr Cameron said the Brumby Labor Government introduced the FDRs last year after the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission’s interim report.
“These ratings were in place for the 2009-10 fire season and, with these improvements to align the districts, they will prove even more useful for people as they prepare for the 2010-11 season,” he said.
“However, it is very important for people to view the new boundaries and know which district they are in.
“Total Fire Bans, like Fire Danger Ratings, are declared district by district, so under this model it will be simpler for people to recognise the various warnings as they now only need to know one district for all.”
Among the changes:
- the existing North Western TFB district has been divided into two, the ‘Wimmera’ and the ‘Mallee’;
- forming two new districts in the north, ‘North Central’ and ‘North Country’;
- dividing the Eastern TFB district into the new ‘West and South Gippsland’, and ‘East Gippsland’, and;
- leaving the ‘South West’ and ‘Central’ districts unchanged, but aligning their boundaries to the weather districts and local government boundaries.
Mr Cameron urged all Victorians to visit www.cfa.vic.gov.au to view the new boundaries, a list of what you can and can’t do during TFB, and check for any updates on warnings for their area.