Brisbane West residents fearful of horror fire season

Residents of these Brisbane suburbs fear they are stuck in a game of Russian roulette ahead of a potentially horror bushfire season.

Residents of Brisbane’s west fear they are stuck in a game of Russian roulette ahead of a potentially horror bushfire season they say their community is woefully underprepared to handle.

Residents in the 4070 postcode and surrounding suburbs are calling for a new rural fire brigade to be established at Mt Crosby.

The residents fear they will be forced to take on bushfires armed with garden hoses should the worst happen.

But their calls have fallen on deaf, ears with Queensland Fire and Emergency Services insisting it was “comfortable” with the area’s firefighting resources and ability for neighbouring stations to respond in a timely manner.

Local John Williams said a new rural fire brigade off Mount Crosby Rd would have the capacity to keep the community safe.

Alternatively, he said, Brisbane City Council could establish a volunteer brigade, supply firefighting trucks and equipment for the community to man.

The Lions Club of Brisbane West president said at least 14 members of the community were willing to volunteer as firefighters.

“We currently have no fire fighting capacity in the entire 4070 postcode, none,” he said.

“If we were to get cut off, lose power or water, we are in trouble.

Carolyn Phillips and John Williams from the Lions Club Brisbane West are concerned at the lack of a fire brigade in the area and have called for the state government to fund a service.

“It’s a hell of a big district ... and with the conditions now and westerly (winds) coming through, it could be problematic for houses.

“It would only take 15 minutes to come up the hill.”

In an open letter to Emergency Services Minister Mark Ryan and Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, Mr Williams accuses both levels of government of playing politics instead of acting on the issue.

“There is very limited time to address the issue as made clear by recent bushfire outlooks; we all know the next drought is coming and there will be a bushfire in the postcode of 4070, the only question is when,” the letter reads.

“We are concerned the citizens of western Brisbane are in a game of Russian roulette without their consent or knowledge.”

Member for Moggill Christian Rowan called on the government to provide additional emergency management resources to support the community. Dr Rowan said he had formally written to both levels of government and raised the issue in state parliament several times.

A QFES spokesman said the service was “comfortable” with the current level of resourcing in the Mt Crosby area.

Mr Ryan said he had personally raised the matters with QFES and was confident the “experts” had made the right decision.