People going into closed fire areas

Submitted: Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 13:09
ThreadID: 41062 Views:2503 Replies:6 FollowUps:10
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From OL.

Quote:
There have been increasing reports of four wheel drive vehicles and trail bikes entering restricted forest areas throughout the fire area. These people pose a risk to themselves and to firefighters.

It is essential that people stay out of all forest and park areas west of the Great Alpine Road and north of the Princes Highway in Gippsland. All parks and forests west of the Great Alpine Road have been closed to ensure public safety. For a detailed map on restricted areas, visit the Parks Victoria website: www.parkweb.vic.gov.au.

(http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/DSE/nrenfoe.nsf/LinkView/5444E95166CBCD42CA2572140025558D18F7495CDE979F6D4A256DEA00141013)

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My suggestion:
I think they actually need to advertise on tele (some of them community service annoucements) what is open and whats closed, and what towns we can now start supporting EG Walhalla, Woods etc.

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Reply By: Leroy - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 13:26

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 13:26
The map basically indicates you can't go anywhere in the HC.

Leroy
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Follow Up By: Robin - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 15:34

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 15:34
Just completed a 24hr 1000km trip Melb- Corryong - Mt Pinnabar - return trip loop with some great 4wding and lots of tracks , with vacant huts and camp sites.

This area is clear of fires and quite ok , and can reccomended to anyone lookng for HC trip whose has a couple of spare days.

Hope to post full report later

Robin Miller
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Reply By: HowdyDoody - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 15:06

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 15:06
Hi truckster, I couldn't agree with you more - about the tv that is. As I mentioned in a previous thread, when the major stations stop following the story then a lot of people believe the risk has passed and off they go on their merry way without checking dse, parkweb.vic.gov.au etc etc. Some sort of advert or quick plug in the news would be all it took to get people to ensure they make sure the place they want to go to is actually still safe or ready to go back to so they can bring money into the local community. Major stations seems to have withdrawn their reporters as I gues the story just ran out of legs for them, but the problem is still there and it needs to be covered. Especially at this time of year. Not getting the information through can be so dangerous.
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Follow Up By: Leroy - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 15:19

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 15:19
the fires are still burning......they never stopped - only paused while we had some mild weather. they're almost to bass strait so they will stop then. Country new still gives updates but not the big cities.

Leroy
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Follow Up By: Shaker - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 16:08

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 16:08
Even so, what don't they understand about "ROAD CLOSED" signs?
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Follow Up By: Member - Blue (VIC) - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 21:23

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 21:23
C'mon Shaker, we all know "road closed" translates directly into "winch this gate out of the ground"... Toolangi is a classic example, no reason why the same rules shouldn't apply to fire areas...
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Follow Up By: Shaker - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 22:35

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 22:35
Sad .... but true!

Does nothing to enhance our image either.
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Follow Up By: Member - Blue (VIC) - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 23:06

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 23:06
My image is supremely enhanced... I've put on 12kg since the start of December...LOL
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Reply By: GU - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 17:25

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 17:25
Just wondering whether we actually have a living breathing "Victorian Tourist Authority" that one might hope would run some sort of advertisement in papers/tv informing the masses as to which towns are OK to visit.

I saw a very, very short interview on ABC news just prior to Xmas where they interviewed a local business person from the Bright / Porepunkah townships pleading for the media to back off and not give the impression that the town was burnt down or out of bounds for tourists. The fires there had passed, the main roads open, and business' desperate for business.

I know there are websites (Parks Vic / DSE / CFA) which will detail affected fire areas but I think there should be some sort of effort forthcoming from the tourist side to let us know where tourists can return too. The locals would know what's open and what's closed but people outside these immediate areas (Melbourne for instance) are not, I feel, being brought up to date with this information. We are not included in the loop yet we are probably their main source of tourists.

Just a thought.

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Follow Up By: Wayne (NSW) - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 17:43

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 17:43
GU,

I had a look at the map on the fire restricted areas and at first glance I thought hat Bright was in the no go area.

Read your post and thought that we can not go there any way. I then had another look and the road to Bright is open. You can not go any further south but Bright is open.

I have been to Bright at least 30 time over the past few years, but it is the start and finish of our Vic High Country trip. The roads are closed all around the area, our trip will not go ahead until the VHC opens up again, so we have had to cancel the accommodation that we had booked. It is a flow on effect, very little that we can do about it.

Wayne

Wayne
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Follow Up By: Leroy - Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 at 09:23

Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 at 09:23
GU, the problem is that good news doesn't sell and this has frustrated local businesses becasue it's then difficult to get the word out that's safe to visit the area. So many business refunded all bookings over the xmas/new year period and some are only down 20% but this has a flow on effect becasue those people would spend $$$ as resturants and shops etc and as a result the locals have more $$$ to spend locally also.
But you can spread the word that the NE is open for business. Including a festival at Falls creek this weekend. If you can't make it then there's Site Link to wet your appetite.

Leroy
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Reply By: Member - Royce- Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 17:30

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 17:30
Just come back from fighting fires past Orbost. Up and down the hills to the Bemm River filling up collar tanks and 'pigs' for DSE and putting out some wet stuff on red stuff..

None of the tracks have CLOSED signs on them.... just an 80k restriction near where we are pulling water out on the Princes Hwy.

Mind you the desolate black ash and hot flames might give a few people the idea that a 4wd trip in that area is not sensible!

AnswerID: 214471

Follow Up By: Mike Harding - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 17:33

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 17:33
>Mind you the desolate black ash and hot flames might give a
>few people the idea that a 4wd trip in that area is not sensible!

Don't bank on it Royce :)

Thanks for your input into the fire fighting.

Mike Harding
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Reply By: Crackles - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 20:22

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 20:22
I think a TV add would be difficult to keep updated. One day they would be advertising Bright is open for tourists then following a hot wind change smoke & flames would threaten the town & the tourists would be told to go home.
All the information about what is open, what's closed & what's on fire is readily available on the internet. For those still unsure just ring up some local accomodation, parks Vic or tourist imformation. They will tell you either way what areas are suitable. Large flashing display boards warn of closed areas as you approach the fires, then immediately before the flames comes the road closures. It seems many are paying no attention to the warnings & camping in and around the burnt areas anyway before Parks have had time to clear dangerous trees or even put the fire out. Not that it is a bad thing......I suppose it could be seen as natural selection at work :-))
Cheers Craig.....
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Reply By: Member - Andrew W (SA) - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 20:59

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 20:59
As a Licensed Tour Operator I just want to commend DSE and ParksVic on the level of information they provide every night without fail on the fire situation.

Detailed description and detailed map of what is open and what is not and the current state and outlook.

Absolutely incredible service in an emergency - I hope that SA, NT and WA Parks folks think of emulating it.

There is a lot of burnt out area ... and still a lot closed off: www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/ and Site Link ... it is clearly hard for everyone there, but a bit of research and some phone calls and you will soon work oput where you can go that might be interesting.

The details are quite difficult to get across on TV - we are talking about a hellish amount of detail across a huge chunk of Victoria - 1 million hectares or so!!!

Whilst I am also frustrated about where to go up there, we are talking a pretty disastrous situation, requiring huge resources to tackle it, and in the circumstances I am impressed with the detailed info provided and the good use made of the web.

Cheers
Andrew.
AnswerID: 214526

Follow Up By: Bytemrk - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 22:13

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 22:13
Well Said Andrew..

The information available on these sites, as well as the CFA site mean that no one with internet access has an excuse for not being informed as to what is and isn't open.

It's sad that these people ignore the closed tracks... putting themselves and others at risk. And also giving 4WD drivers in general a bad rap in some peoples eyes..

A mate of mine is a cartographer for the DSE... you don't think he and his colleagues haven't been a little busy drawing maps for the last few weeks!

Mark
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