Prepared for fire … you’ve got to be joking

Brenda Rosser How to contact a member of the State Fire Management Council and/or the Fire Management Committee
2009 – February 9th. 2:22pm. I phoned Forestry Tasmania at their Camdale Office (6434 6345) and asked to speak to the member of the Fire Management Area Committee that covers West Calder in the Waratah-Wynyard municipality with the aim of obtaining a copy of the associated fire management plan that covers this area. No one I spoke to knew for sure who that person was.
Excerpt from Tasmanian Fire Services Act of 1979.
“State Fire Management Council
14. (1) A State Fire Management Council is established.
(2) The Council consists of –
…..
(h) a person nominated by the Tasmanian Farmers’ and Graziers’ Association; and
……
Functions of Council

15. The Council has the following functions:

(a) to develop a State vegetation fire management policy to be used as the basis for all fire management planning;……..”

And

“Fire Management Area Committees
18. (1) The Commission must establish a committee, called a Fire Management Area Committee, in respect of each Fire Management Area to be responsible for providing effective fire management in that area.

(2) A Committee is to consist of –

(a) the Chief Officer or an officer of the Fire Service nominated by the Chief Officer; and

(b) a representative of each local council having its municipal area wholly or partly within the Fire Management Area; and….”

How to contact a member of the State Fire Management Council and/or the Fire Management Committee:

2009 – February 9th. 4:40pm. Phoned the TFGA. Fiona the office manager there (63321800) could not identify who the representative was from her organization on the State Fire Management Council.

2009 – February 9th. 3:59pm. I phoned the Waratah-Wynyard Council yet again to find out who the rep on the Fire Management Area Committee was from the Waratah-Wynyard Council. Janine said that she had spoken to Mr Bruce Corbet and he said that he wasn’t aware that there was one.

2009 – February 9th. 3:41pm. Chris Fagg returned my call to inform me that he is not a representative on the Fire Mgt Area Committee, he had not heard of it and he has nothing to do with ‘fire’.

2009 – February 9th. 2:22pm. I phoned Forestry Tasmania at their Camdale Office (6434 6345) and asked to speak to the member of the Fire Management Area Committee that covers West Calder in the Waratah-Wynyard municipality with the aim of obtaining a copy of the associated fire management plan that covers this area. No one I spoke to knew for sure who that person was.

2009 – February 9th. 2:16pm. I heard a noise outside and then observed that the FEA grass slasher operator was next door cutting the grass. Debris left on the ground. The taller native trees that had regenerated between our house and the tree plantation were left in place.

2009 – February 9th. 2:04pm. I phoned the North-West Regional Headquarters of the Tasmanian Fire Service to asked ‘Nadine’ to speak to the member of the Fire Management Area Committee that covers the area of West Calder. Nadine said that that position was linked to one held by Mr Gary Johnson and that he was unavailable. I asked to speak to Mr John Streets but was advised that he was out of the office.

2009 – February 9th. 1:49 pm. A phone call to the Waratah-Wynyard Council to speak to the local council’s member of the Fire Management Area Committee with the aim of obtaining a copy of the Fire Management Plan for our region. I was informed that Mr Chris Fagg was the member of that Committee but Mr Fagg (see above) claimed that he had not heard of this body.

2009 – February 9th 11:30am. Phone contact with the Tasmanian Fire Service around 11am to speak to Gary Johnson who was unavailable. I was a advised that a message was left for Mr John Streets to get back to me. At 1:07pm Mr Streets had not returned my call.