Hundreds of Mitcham Council residents call for better bushfire emergency planning

With more than 90,000 extra homes across the state set to fall under a high bushfire risk, residents of one council say more needs to be done to make their area bushfire-ready.

Residents in an idyllic South Australian suburb fear their lives could be at risk during a bushfire because of a lack of exits and safe evacuation sites.

It comes as more than 4500 homes and businesses in Mitcham Council will be upgraded to high bushfire risk as part of the state government’s bushfire hazard rezoning.

This means roughly 70% of council land would be classified as high risk because of “more frequent and intense extreme weather events,” according to a state government YourSAy survey.

Two petitions with nearly 2000 combined signatures are circulating on Change.org calling on the council to take urgent measures.

Craigburn Farm resident Ben Luks, 36, moved there three months ago with his wife and young daughter to find neighbours shared his concerns about road congestion.

Concerned Mitcham resident Ben Luks (right) with Mitcham councillor Darren Kruse on the congested Blackwood Park Blvd. Picture: Dean Martin

“I do fear for the lives of myself and my family, and also the other families who live in Craigburn Farm,” Mr Luks said.

“The fire exits in the suburb are currently inadequate, and unless this is addressed, I am concerned lives could be put at risk.”

He started a petition calling on council to open up two more bushfire exit roads on the northern and eastern ends of Craigburn Farm.

“Where we live, it gets very congested,” Mr Luks said.

“There are cars parked on both the left-hand and right-hand side of Blackwood Park Boulevard, and that’s supposed to be a two-lane road, but that’s pretty much reduced to a one-way street with congestion on either side.

“For those who lived right in the depths of Blackwood Park, where we are, it does take a lot of time to get back onto Grand Boulevard, which is the major road.”

A Mitcham Council spokeswoman said a motion moved by Councillor Darren Kruse on building new fire exits would be debated at a meeting on January 23.

Congestion on Blackwood Park Blvd, Craigburn Farm. Picture: Dean Martin

Mr Luks said his home was in a “really beautiful part of SA” but wanted more to be done.

“I think we knew there would be a risk, but we thought if there is a way to improve the safety measures in the long-term, we would be more comfortable.”

A spokesman for the Department of Transport and Infrastructure said he was not aware of the council seeking funding and “any upgrades to these streets are a matter for the City of Mitcham, as the responsible authority”.

He said that a 2019 council study “concluded that existing options were adequate for the size of the residential population and that none of the alternative bushfire bypass emergency egress alignments were safer than the existing situation”.

Only one option was considered worth exploring and the council installed a gate at Star Lily Street to make it an emergency exit road.

Councillor Kruse has also thrown his support behind another petition calling for dedicated “safe haven” buildings on catastrophic fire days.

Mitcham councillor Darren Kruse. Picture: Supplied

These are accessible buildings that can accommodate residents, along with disabled relatives and pets, during a catastrophic fire day when locals are forced to leave their homes.

However, a 2022 council report found several difficulties, including uncertain costs, lack of uptake, and managing pets in a confined space.

Staff suggested that “Council intervention in this area is fraught with risk of unintended consequences” and recommended a clearer proposal, according to Cr Kruse.

“With that sort of comment, unsurprisingly not a lot has occurred since then,” Mr Kruse told The Advertiser.

“On extreme days the staff have discretion to keep the brand new $12.5 million Blackwood Library open, or close it. On catastrophic days it will be closed.

“It’s not built for fire safety refuge – that could possibly be done with a retrofit of metal screens and water curtains.

“Ultimately, residents need somewhere to go.”

A Mitcham Council spokeswoman said community centres for bushfire refuge were trialled, but there was “no take-up from the community”.

“Council’s library and community facilities are available for all to enjoy during opening hours, and we have the ability to temporarily extend hours to meet community needs in exceptional circumstances,” the spokeswoman said.

She urged people to maintain their bushfire plans and maintain their property to reduce risk.

In December, The Advertiser reported that under the state government’s proposed rezoning, more than 90,000 additional homes in SA would be upgraded to high bushfire risk.