Rain to bring bushfire reprieve for eastern Victorian but authorities bracing for other dangers
Higher than average rainfall is set to bring reprieve to some bushfire-ravaged parts of Victoria as summer approaches, while other areas of the state are already on alert.
Victoria
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Bushfire-ravaged parts of Victoria are in line for a reprieve as summer approaches, with strong winter downpours in the state’s east to be boosted by higher than average rainfall over the next three months.
But emergency services are warning of dry conditions in Victoria’s western regions and backburning efforts are underway in areas such as the Wimmera and Mallee.
Emergency Management Victoria Commissioner Andrew Crisp said there were positive signs as authorities geared up for this year’s bushfire season.
“We’ve not seen that moisture deficit that we’ve had in the last three to five seasons in East Gippsland in particular,” he said.
“While we’ve seen the rain in that part of the state we’ve not seen as much rain the west.
“Where there is some underlying dryness it does present a risk as we move into summer.”
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast a 70 per cent chance of a La Nina weather event happening by the end of the year.
It would bring above-average rainfall for all of eastern Australia and warmer temperatures for southern parts of the state.
Victoria State Emergency Service chief of operations Tim Wiebusch said the forecast meant there were was an increased risk of flash flooding in Melbourne and regional Victoria.
He said Victorians should look at flood maps on the SES website now and prepare exit routes and sandbagging options where necessary.
“Make sure you understand your local flood risk,” Mr Wiebusch said.
“This year’s volunteers are up to responding … With over 3500 requests for assistance in the last five days alone.”
It comes as the natural disaster royal commission, called in the wake of last summer’s bushfire crisis, released its interim observations on Tuesday.
It demanded the urgent introduction of nationally consistent bushfire warning and danger rating systems, after finding that there was confusion about the meaning of Victoria’s “watch and act” messaging, as well as the differences between states.
The Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council has been working on a national system for six years.
“This work has taken too long … (It) should be finished as a priority,” the royal commission said.
“A national community education campaign should be prioritised following the finalisation of the Australian Warning System and the Australian Fire Danger Rating System.”
With the commission finding bushfires and floods are set to become “more frequent and more intense”, it said the new national cabinet could be charged with leading national co-ordination of future natural disasters.
Emergency Management Minister David Littleproud said he was working with states to get “consistency” across all fire warning systems.
“We obviously have to get the states to agree,” Mr Littleproud said.
“Hopefully this will be a catalyst for them to work collaboratively to achieve that.
“There are some real benefits to that … particularly if you are on one side of a border. it just makes it easier for those citizens to have consistency and understand of what their threats might be because fires don’t necessarily respect state borders.”
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