TheAge.Com.Au
Andrea Petrie,
February 11, 2009
ANGRY residents last night
accused local authorities of contributing to the bushfire toll by failing to
let residents chop down trees and clear up bushland
that posed a fire risk.
During question time at a packed
community meeting in Arthurs Creek on Melbourne's
northern fringe, Warwick Spooner — whose mother Marilyn and brother Damien
perished along with their home in the Strathewen
blaze — criticised the Nillumbik
council for the limitations it placed on residents wanting the council's help
or permission to clean up around their properties in preparation for the
bushfire season. "We've lost two people in my family because you dickheads
won't cut trees down," he said.
Another resident said she had
asked the council four times to tend to out-of-control growth on public land
near her home, but her pleas had been ignored.
There was widespread applause
when Nillumbik Mayor Bo Bendtsen
said changes were likely to be made about the council's policy surrounding
native vegetation.
But his response was not good
enough for Mr Spooner: "It's too late now mate.
We've lost families, we've lost people."
More than 500 people spilled out
of the small hall during the meeting, at which the CFA, Victoria Police,
Department of Human Services and Telstra provided updates.
Many expressed anger that police
road blocks were stopping them from reaching survivors trapped in fire-ravaged
areas with no water, power or other basic needs. One man present spoke of counselling a woman whose two children had been killed and
whose grief had been compounded by not knowing where they were because the area
had been declared a crime scene and she had not been allowed to return.
Most of those present were tired,
grieving the loss of relatives and friends and with little more than the
smoke-coated clothes on their backs. Some were still showing symptoms of shock
after experiencing the worst natural disaster in the nation's history.
Scattered around the hall and
outside were trestle tables with clothing sorted in neat piles, toiletries,
food and bottled water. On the floor were dozens of pairs of shoes. There was
also a section dedicated to baby clothes and another for children's toys.
Of all the speakers who addressed
the meeting, it was Arthurs Creek CFA Captain David McGahy who got the most rousing reception.
Choking back tears he told them:
"I'm so terribly sorry. We desperately wanted to protect you but we
couldn't.
"In the cold analysis of
light, it wouldn't have mattered if we'd have had 200 units here, all that
would have happened is we would have ended up with a whole lot of dead
firefighters. I've been at this game for about 40 years and I haven't
experienced anything like that, not even remotely like it."