Archive for the 'Media comment' Category

Election Dates, signs and a bit about Dog Parks

January 28th, 2012

A bit of a mixed bag this post.. Firstly I was just as annoyed as most people I have spoken to about the changed date for the Local Government Election. To shift the date forward to April 28th impacts badly on many people. Sitting Councillors who had already chosen not to run again have holidays booked and planned. Sitting Councillor candidates as well as new candidates had their advertising booked. But most of all it is just another 4 weeks of uncertainty and disruption leading up to the day. When the focus should be all about the job at hand it is impossible to not be thinking of the coming election day so we all have another 4 weeks of stress and worry etc.
I do not enjoy election campaigns. I detest the entire process but it is a necessary process so I will do what I always do. Stress about what to write, stress about organising helpers and just massively stress about the entire election.
But the fact that Ms Anna Bligh is waiting for the flood report is a bad excuse to use to justify her action. Does she think waiting for a report which she expects to paint Campbell Newman badly is a good reason to disrupt Local Government? I don’t think her action will gain her any support at all but further harm her reputation as a leader.
Also it must be remembered that the Council logo is protected by copyright to Council. The logo should not be used without permission and I believe candidates should already be aware of that and not use it or attempt to use a similar image. Election signs are expensive items so it is a waste of money to get it wrong….
DOG PARKS. I have asked constantly about introducing these throughout our region. But the challenge is to find the right location for them. Whenever Council selects a potential site it seems that the surrounding neighbours veto the idea. So the solution is for residents to identify where they would like a dog off lead park and then gather support from the surrounding residents. If we find a suitable site I am sure we can tweak the budget to pay for the needed fencing which may be a considerable cost.
WET, WET, WET…
Take care driving around please. Council staff were busy last night trying to erect signage but it is impossible to sign everywhere when all the usual roads flooded with the heavy rain. As locals we are familiar with the trouble spots but just slow down. It is so much safer to drive to the conditions. Driving to Maryborough yesterday evening to rehome a beautiful dog saw me out and about in the worst of it. But nearly everyone was driving slower than usual and taking care. The Council after hours number was taking a huge number of calls and reporting flooded roads to staff but itis up to us to drive ‘to the conditions’. In other words take care and go slowly….

Beach Cleaning Muncher in the Indy news..

January 13th, 2012

My Letter to the Editor of The Indy in response to a letter written by Mr Rolf Light candidate Div 5.

I would appreciate it if Mr Rolf Light (Council candidate Div 5) writing to The Indy (12/1/12) should possibly give me a call or do some research prior to publicly making assumptions about Council and myself. Several years ago a number of Craignish and Dundowran residents came to me and complained about the regular beach munching machines being used along our beach. The residents believed the beach cleaning ‘muncher’ was disturbing the natural habitat of crabs and worms etc and was a total waste of money. The residents in this beach side area take pride in keeping their beach clean themselves. Many of us use our doggy poo bags for picking up and disposing of the odd piece of litter we find along the beach ourselves.

While I agreed with the residents that regular beach sand cleaning was not needed at that time I was very aware that council needed to retain the permit to use the beach cleaning machine on this stretch of beach to facilitate beach cleaning when and if required. If Mr Light would like to acquaint himself with the Council adopted Beach Cleaning programme he will find that the Dundowran Craignish beaches are on the programme to be cleaned on an ‘as needed’ basis. This means that at any time Council or residents believe the beach needs a mechanical clean it can be done. It also means that gaining the extra approval required from the State Government to remove beach seaweed etc is easily and quickly obtained. Regular beach cleaning permits do not allow Council to remove plant matter decaying or not. An extra permit is required. In response to the most recent smelly problems as soon as residents told me about the problem a request was made by myself to the Council staff via Mayor Mick and the weed cleaning was done very quickly. As soon as the tick was received from the State Government Council had machines on the beach! If residents now desire to have regular beach cleaning reinstated that is a simple process to do. Not forgetting that there is a cost attached!

 

Esplanade under fire yet again

January 10th, 2012

I notice Mr Glen Winney, writing in The Chronicle today (10/1/12), expressing his views on the upcoming elections. While I agree we need candidates with strong visions for the future I thought it timely to express my contrary view. Mr Winney makes it quite clear that he believes Council should close down the Esplanade caravan parks and turn the areas into grass. This argument is an old one but now I read that Mr Winney believes the land opposite the caravan park sites should be developed into ‘quality resorts’. Apparently no one wants to develop the land across the road from the caravan parks because people don’t want to look ‘at the back of caravans’. Mr Winney also says that the foreshore is full of weeds and these should be cleared. I respect Mr Winneys views and as his business is development related I understand where he is coming from, but I have to totally disagree with them.

Our beach front caravan parks are one of our biggest attractions. They are unique and bring a myriad of visitors to our shores who probably collectively add more to the local economy than a string of new resorts would. I thought the vacancy rates in the numerous resorts we already have tells the story. Wall to wall resorts would not in my opinion improve our Esplanade. Rather the diversity of small businesses and detached low rise residences coupled with some medium rise buildings brings a friendly and welcoming feel to the street. I like to see the sky and the trees when I drive The Esplanade rather than towers of concrete and glass.

The Hervey Bay foreshore is unique in that it stretches a long way and has room to cater for many different types of uses. Stop and talk to anyone walking along it and the message is consistent. People appreciate the natural beauty of our foreshore and it, together with our low rise lifestyle and calm waters and mostly great weather, is what attracts residents and tourists alike.

The foreshore is an attractive naturally beautiful sheltered place for all of us to enjoy. Residents and visitors alike. It is a tihng of beauty. It is a place to use and it is our jewel in our crown. Let’s not spoil it by turning it into a tourist resort only precinct. Keep the caravan parks, keep the parklands, keep the playgrounds and keep the trees.

Letter to the Ed, Council pay and the Structure Plan for Eli to Dundowran..

December 22nd, 2011

Catching up with things slowly but surely. It is still a busy time it seems with many emails and phone calls to attend to. I couldn’t help but respond to Mr Jim MacKellars comment in the Chronicle yesterday. This is what I wrote in response…

Jim MacKellar (FCC
21/12/11) says that a recently released Council concept plan for a sporting centre is a good idea but that it should be built in Maryborough. Last time I looked Maryborough was quite well serviced with sporting facilities. Hervey Bay is not. Hervey Bay requires new netball courts, sporting ovals and grounds to accommodate a variety of sports. Hervey Bay sports people still have no access to an adequate basketball facility nor an indoor cricket/netball facility. Yes the PCYC is very well used as are private facilities, but with the predicted population growth Council needs to plan ahead. The complex proposed at Urangan, while not as central as I would prefer, will cost Council zero dollars for the land. To purchase the large amount of land required to build a truly multi use complex elsewhere, would cost this community millions. Isn’t it time we realised that both Hervey Bay and Maryborough require their own facilities and that while we enjoy sharing the Brolga theatre, art galleries and the like,
Hervey Bay requires its own entertainment venue and sporting grounds. I don’t agree that all things should be built in Maryborough. Both cities and all our surrounding towns deserve a level of services and facilities commensurate with their population. Please don’t deny Hervey Bay and surrounding residents accessto their own much needed facilities.

I should have added that we do not want to duplicate facilities also though….

Now recently Councillors advised that our pay is being reduced. I have no problems with this reduction in pay. I don’t know why they ever placed an amalgamation loading on the first term after amalgamation anyway. Yes it was different work but work is work!

The Structure Plan for the Eli Waters to Dundowran Beach land has been released and I urge all residents that are interested in it to Have Your Say. This land is exceedingly low lying and Council has endeavoured to restrict the development footprint by increasing density into smaller pockets. I trust that this will be a better outcome than bringing in tonnes of fill and developing the entire area.

As always let me know if you have concerns about Council related and other issues and also pop over to Facebook. I have both a personal and a Councillor Sue Brooks Facebook pages. Take care, Sue

Dingoes Debate. What I really said….

July 9th, 2011

While recent media reports, both on Ch 9 and within the Chronicle, do reflect SOME of what I have actually said there are some errors and a need for clarification. During General Business at the Council meeting last Wednesday I explained to my fellow Councillors what I had learned during my recent weekend on Fraser Island. I met with several scientists and DERM management staff, rangers, a consultant and other community members and this is what I told my colleagues about what I learned.

I explained that the current research being undertaken, using collars on approx 20 dingoes, will provide information not previously known about dingo behaviour. I explained that I thought the collars while cumbersome were not impeding the dingoes natural behaviour and that the evidence shows that the dingoes quickly become used to the collars. If this wasn’t the case the research would be useless. I believe that the collars are the best ones for the job and have been adapted to best meet the needs of this research on this particular animal. The collars will come off automatically after 8 months but are transmitting a signal every 2 hours. The antennas allow for GPS and radio tracking. If there is no movement of a collar over a period of time the collars allow DERM staff to locate the animal, or the collar if it has come off the animal. Being able to remotely track the dingoes without having to physically observe them should produce much better knowledge about their movements.

I have been saying for a long time now that we need to know more about our dingo population on Fraser Island so I welcome this research. It appears, to me, to be the best research undertaken on the island dingoes so far. I hope we learn enough to be able to make better decisions about dingo management and to be more convinced that the dingo population is a healthy and viable one. I also mentioned that evidence of feral cats has been discovered and that the dingo, as top predator, is essential in keeping the population of feral animals down. Also dingo scats collected show evidence that some dingoes are healthy and eating only natural prey without evidence of human provided food.

I also explained that I believe there are healthy dingoes on Fraser Island and that NOT ALL dingoes are starving. I have never, ever said that all dingoes on the island are well fed.

So to what I didn’t say. I have never said that the Dingo Management Plan is working or that I support it. I don’t support the plan and I don’t support the dingo fences of Eurong and Happy Valley and I do not support killing dingoes because they are loitering or hanging around humans. If the Ch 9 reporter and the Chronicle reporter think I did say that I support the Management Plan I believe they are mistaken and they are confusing my support for the current research with support for the management plan! Please listen again to the TV interview and realise that I say about one sentence and the rest of the report is not my words. Read the Chronicle newspaper report again. The caption under the photo is wrong as is the heading!

I’m sorry if this is confusing but I stand by my beliefs and yes I do visit the island regularly and I believe the information given to me by Mr Bernie Shakeshaft, the tracker working with DERM currently. Please don’t believe word for word anything that is reported in the media. While journalists and reporters endeavour to be accurate they work to very tight schedules and do like to make headlines. I have learned time and time again it is better to get the facts rather than believe what I read or hear second hand!

So to conclude. The collars are large and robust and heavy but they are not as heavy as to make a dingo change its behaviour over the period of time that the collar is being worn. Initially the dingo has to get used to the collar. Dingoes should be able to groom, feed, whelp and feed young while wearing the collar. If a dingo wearing a collar appears to be caught (stuck on something via the collar) or behaving in an abnormal manner (limited range of movement for example) the dingo can be located and the collar removed. The only dingoes being collared are adult and sub adult dingoes not young dingoes. I worry that there does not seem to be many identified as ”adult”  dingoes being found…  The collars are waterproof so if a dingo leaves the island it will be tracked.

While the research is not going to provide all the answers it will greatly assist us in understanding the dingoes. I want to know the answers to questions such as how many dingoes can Fraser Island comfortably support with the dingoes eating natural foods? What happens to the young pups as they grow? Do any leave the island as nature would ensure more pups are born that the island can sustain? Do they starve to death or are they killed by other dingoes?

Yes there are photos of, and I have seen first hand, unhealthy looking dingoes. Are these dingoes surplus to what the island can sustain? Are these dingoes more likely to frequent people and thereby be more readily photographed? Can we ensure that juvenile dingoes learn by being raised by wild adult dingoes? Can we ensure that an enquisitive dingo is not killed simply because he or she is learning and is interested in these two legged humans that are now found all over the island?

So to those of you who believe I support the current management of dingoes on Fraser Island…. I don’t! Do I believe all dingoes on the island are healthy.. no I don’t but I also believe nature works to ensure some dingoes will not naturally survive and grow to old age. Do I want the Fraser Island dingoes preserved? Yes! Do I believe the collars are uncomfortable… yes. But I believe the dingoes adapt and that the research will benefit the species and the discomfort outweighs the avantage to the population as a whole. Will I continue to communicate what I learn..? Yes I will. Thanks, Sue

Some good links…  http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks/fraser/dingo-photo-gallery.html  This photo gallery is interesting and shows healthy looking dingoes. Sadly we don’t see these photos via the media. If you want to use them just remember they are copyright..

This is the company that has been used to develop the dingo collars. http://www.sirtrack.com/

Tried to post a pic of the collar… Will find out why it disn’t work.. Ta, Sue

Foreshore Front Page – and the Chronicle poll!

November 7th, 2010

The Esplanade and Foreshore made the font page yesterday with yours truly and the Chronicle Editor featured on the front page. We were both trying to keep the rain out of our eyes at the time that this photo was taken Friday morning (directly opposite Delfinos just up from Denman Camp Rd). I didn’t expect Peter to front up so that was a surprise.

The story goes on to argue that some areas of our foreshore need a good clean up and the weeds and dead branches etc need removing. I agree about the weeds but some dead wood and natural undergrowth should be left alone depending on where it is located.

Inside The Chronicle I am portrayed as wanting the Foreshore ‘left alone’. I have never said I want it totally left alone and I have worked hard to find a way to better resource our Council staff so that increased weeding regimes can occur. I recently posted a story about how the community can become involved and help Council in this regard. Also this week in Council I was informed that the highly anticipated Foreshore Plan actions review report will be ready the first week of December.

So to the poll. The Chronicle is asking us to vote and there are two questions. Either we ask for a ‘major clean up’ of the foreshore or we don’t!  The questions are designed to be either one or the other and don’t, in my mind, properly articulate what is needed.

However I will be voting no as I believe the foreshore only needs a minor clean up in specific areas and as The Chronicle hasn’t properly defined what it actually means by  ‘a major clean up’ I am not confident that the results of the poll will be worth much anyway. But there is a poll and already there have been global emails being circulated by UDIA and the Hervey Bay Chamber of Commerce asking their members to vote ‘as this is your chance to clean up The Esplanade’. So from business and the development industry we have a big clean up push. Maybe I will just cross out the word ‘major’ on the form and insert ‘just remove weeds’ instead!

So it is over to the readers of The Chronicle to have their say. To participate in the poll either use the coupon printed in The Chronicle on Saturday or email The Chronicle at

hbedit@frasercoastchronicle.com.au

You must attach your name and suburb for your vote to be recognised and it is probably best to use the words Foreshore Poll in the subject line.

I will be interested in the results. Cheers, Sue

PS Can’t finish without thanking Tess Patterson for her wonderful letter. She has a lovely way of putting into words what our foreshore means to many of us. Thanks Tess.

Thanks Scott and Stephen

February 12th, 2010

I was pleased to read the editorial in the Hervey Bay Independent this morning. Great to see someone from the media world speaking out about the potential problems when a newspaper editor decides to try and influence elected members. Scott Rowe has hit the nail on the head with a hard hammer and I think his comments are well justified and thought provoking.

It has always bothered me that keeping on ‘good terms’ with the local newspaper editors is seen as an essential ingredient by politicians around the country. If a politician does not build a positive relationship with an editor they run the risk of receiving negative coverage in the newspaper. This is even more pronounced when political party allegiance enters into the equation.

All politicians should be given equal and unbiased and uncensored tretament as should all members of our community. I often wonder what it is about the human animal that makes us so quickly attracted to the sensationalist headlines and trivail pre occupations with who said what that invariably increases sales and brings in more dollars for the media entity.

So thank you Scott for your well written editorial this week and also a special thank you to Stephen O’Grady for his coverage of this weeks Council Meeting. Stephen took the time to peruse our agenda and wrote a very accurate account of development related information that was printed yesterday in The Chronicle. Thank you Stephen.

Chronicle commentary

January 23rd, 2010

Interesting focus on development issues dominating the paper these days. The education city focus highlighted today for Hervey Bay is an old and existing strategy that has been around since the days when USQ decided to build an actual campus on the Fraser Coast. It is a very worthwhile and well supported strategy but I do believe that many younger people will always want to leave the city where they have gron up, to test the waters elsewhere. Yes we need to provide opportunities for our youth to stay here but we must also try and attract youth from elsewhere to come here to learn. Then we need a good range of employment opportunities including professions to retain a younger workforce. Hence the need for sensible well planned development that isn’t development at any cost everywhere! Let’s not destroy what most of us have come here to enjoy! I am so looking forward to our 2031 Land Use strategy public consultation which will give everyone the chance to have your say on what you want and where you want it.

The Chronicle has also run a series of Councillor interviews and Mayor Mick has had a bit to say. I’m never ever going to crow about ‘my achievements’ as I am but one cog in a big organisation and turning an idea or request into a reality takes more than just my say so. Also different Portfolios are less or greatly public so measuring or assessing any Councillor by how many times we appear within the media is unfair to say the least. I enjoyed reading about us all but must admit it is quite confrontational and sobering to read some of the comments about Councillors being posted onto the Chronicle Blog.  It is a dilemma I face with this blog when people anonymously decide to personally target an individual…. So please feel free to let me know if you ever wish this blog to be more strictly censored or not? So far I rarely intervene and comments are posted as they arrive but I do ask that comments are focussed on issues not personalities when ever possible. Constructive criticism is the way to go not personal attacks I believe.

Anyhow I’m not sure how you find the Chronicle blog Councillor topic but here is a link.. Seems I am not doing my job well according to several readers. I wish however there was a better understanding of what we actually do. Perceptions are incorrect in several cases I believe.

http://www.frasercoastchronicle.com.au/story/2010/01/19/does-your-score-card-match-theirs/

I spent a few days this week in Brissy visiting family and appreciated the numerous parks and gardens dotted everywhere. Brisbane suburbs are leafy and green and I hope they remain that way. My daughter rarely visits the CBD and it was nice to spend time in ‘suburbia’ including walking the household dog up a large naturally vegetated hill just up the road. A great haven in a busy city.

Peter Chapman reads this blog!

September 18th, 2009

Dear Peter, a very warm welcome to the Fraser Coast. Although I agree with you that not many people read this blog I’m glad that you take the time to peruse it. I enjoy the ability to communicate directly with the public and although my readership is very much less than that of the daily Chronicle it is wonderful to be able to express my thoughts freely and openly without being censored. It is also a great way to communicate directly with the community and I am glad that some people take the time to read and debate ‘online’.

I will be taking up your kind offer of ringing you directly and appreciate you giving out your phone number to enable people to contact you directly. I suppose I was feeling a bit cranky with you the other day however, as I personally emailed you over 2 weeks ago now on a non Council related matter and am still awaiting a response. I try very hard to respond to all the emails and calls I receive and although I am sure some people slip through the cracks from time to time the fact that I had not yet received a response from you regarding my email has made me feel a bit annoyed with you.

In the past I have emailed the Deputy Editor also on both Council related and non Council related issues and have also received nothing but the sounds of silence so maybe my emails are just totally boring and not worthy of a response. At least the Dep. Ed. has publicly stated that email is his very least preferred method of communication….. Many other Chronicle journalists do respond promptly to email communication and I wish to thank them as ignoring someone is really a good way to make someone feel powerless. I’m also aware of the difference in gaining newspaper inches as a means of personal self promotion rather than simply to educate or inform the community about Council related issues and try always to focus on the latter not the former.

I am glad Peter, that you want to learn more about Council so I look forward to seeing you at the odd Council meeting in the weeks to come. Some more extensive reporting of what occurs at Council meetings would be a great way to ensure the wider community gets to know more about Council and how it operates.

You and I have something in common as I also detest people making constant excuses for non performance and I very much detest bureaucratic red tape that ties everyone in knots. However much of the ‘red tape’ surrounding Council is foisted upon us by those above us. Maybe if we all work together we can make inroads in reducing the ever growing knots of red tape so I look forward to hearing about how best to do this.

I really do hope that you enjoy your time on the Fraser Coast and in particular Hervey Bay and that the Chronicle under your leadership, provides our community with balanced reporting that truthfully informs us all about the issues that impact on all of us. I abhor sensationalism. Now do you work Sat mornings for that phone chat and will you be responding to my earlier email or should I try again? See you soon, Sue

Nancy knows best!

February 22nd, 2009

As someone who has spent most of her life in Victoria I was quite saddened to read the FCC Editorial of Wednesday 18/2/09 written by the Editor Nancy Bates

The Victorian climate and vegetation is markedly different from much of the Queensland vegetation and fires ‘down South’ have always claimed more lives and destroyed more property than areas more Northerly. Victorian summers are dry, hot and windy whereas Queensland summers are more likely to be humid and wet and windy. Grass around Hervey Bay spends far less time dry and yellow than the grasses down South do. When I first arrived in Bundaberg from Victoria I lived on acreage at the edge of town and well remember the day a fire started up near by. I ran around my house like a mad thing wondering if I had enough tennis balls to block up my down pipes etc, checking hoses and becoming quite frantic till I realised all my neighbours calmly going about their daily routine. Some time later the fire truck turned up and quickly put out the blaze. An experience so different to everything I had ever experienced growing up in Victoria that it got me thinking about the different threats fire bring to different areas of our countryside. A one size fits all approach is not the answer.

So back to the editorial. Ms Bates says that “the green madness has ‘nature lovers’ building thousands of lifestyle homes in the bush, delighting in the trees cuddling their homes and the birds and animals that were their friends. They have now been incinerated.”  The editorial concludes by stating that relatives of victims should not blame arsonists or power companies but that they should “look at the over powerful greenies threaded through bureaucracies, the environmentally concerned councillors and the weak politicians who created holocusts in a beautiful bush they never understood.”  There is also a statement that says ” ..the policy makers and leading greenies who have prevented controlled burning in rural Victoria should be considered accessories to manslaughter”

Very emotive and strong language which I would expect after a disaster of this proportion. I struggled with giving these words web space and further exposure but I think that to let them go unchallenged would distress me more. Victoria does have regular burning off activities. In fact property owners are required to keep their properties free of fire fuel. Please refer to http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/DSE/nrenfoe.nsf/childdocs/-A33AA7D81F96F3114A2567CB000DB43A-1C0CF21706909C04CA256DAC00169D3B-5EDCE94D4AD3D6E54A256DEA0013E4B6-F33FA589BF9EED344A25679400258B1C?open 

or the Victorian Dept of Sustainability and Environment (if this link does not work). The restrictions to burning are primarily in relation to weather conditions as Victoria often has days called Total Fire Ban days where no one is allowed to light a fire in the open anywhere as the risk of fire is so great. When I part owned earth moving machinery we could not work the machines either on these days in case they caused a fire! So while burning off is an accepted practice in many areas it can only be done ‘when conditions allow’ otherwise burning off can create the fire situation that you are trying to prevent. You can’t burn during much of winter as it is usually too cold and wet and once the undergrowth grows there is only a small window of opportunity before summer sets in and burning anything anywhere is a madness.

Many people living in areas like Kinglake are not  necessarily ‘nature lovers’ but hard working urban dwellers with young kids and jobs and reside in these outlying areas more due to affordability than a love of nature. When viewing film of the devastation after the fires many burned houses were still surrounded by trees carrying green leaves! Usually however wind is the enemy. Fires travel at speeds unbelievable and are carried in the tree tops. The undergrowth and houses burn while the fire front is still racing ahead.

Environmentally concerned citizens and bureacrats and politicians don’t like to see humanity or wildlife or habitat destroyed. Fire destroys most everything  in its path. Fires aren’t choosy. As a result many of the ‘fire management plans’ now introduced are the work of environmentalists. You see a wild fire kills everything so why would a ‘greenie’ ever want to create an environment that endangered life?

I don’t like ‘burning off’ everywhere and all the time. I worry that soils are depleted and fragile life forms extinguished when fire is the constant visitor, but I also believe very strongly that to live close by the Aussie bush can only be done safely if the bush is managed carefully in the surrounding area. I also thought that in 1939 when many people died on Black Friday, there were no restrictions at all on ‘burning off’. In fact this article seems to blame burning off for causing fires. http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/c20thc/fire4.shtml

I simply cannot believe that building restrictions have not been made tougher so that every dwelling has a fire proof cellar, shed or bunker. Green lawns need to be a part of the landscape around a house or other non flammable plants. A secure water supply not dependant on mains power should also be mandated. I could go on….

I’m sad. I’m sad for the families who have lost those dearest to them. I’m sad for the people who have survived but lost everything that they own. I am sad for the destruction of businesses and of livelihoods. I am sad for the wildlife and vegetation that has been destroyed. I am sad that for the rest of his life my son will mourn lives lost on what should be a happy day, his birthday. But most of all I am sad that some people are using their energies to cast blame and to point hurtful fingers at those who are not to blame. We do not yet know that any amount of burning off would have prevented this awful loss of life.

Let us use our energy to help the people left behind and let every bureaucrat, politician, ‘greenie’ and media reporter work together to ensure that lives are protected when fire happens. The one thing I know with all certainty is that if we want to share our planet with our ‘Aussie bush’ we have to learn to live with fire. I cannot see a day when fires will cease to be a threat.

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