How Council’s Bushfire Consultant Initiative Benefits Pomonal Residents

Last month Council released a list of approved consultants giving bushfire-affected Pomonal residents a risk assessment on their property, an initiative for which Council was granted funds by the Victorian Government.

After receiving some questions from the community, Council wish to provide more information on why and how this initiative was pursued.

When residents wish to rebuild on land which is covered by a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO; delineated by the Victorian Government), a planning permit is required to ensure bushfire risk is considered and bushfire protection measures are in place. As part of this process, residents must provide a report that includes a Bushfire Management Statement (BMS). This document is then sent to CFA for review and approval.

Given each resident wanting to rebuild requires a BMS, Council applied for funding to assist with the creation of these documents so that there was one less cost associated with rebuilding. By requesting quotes, this allowed the cost of the consultants to be reduced.

A request for quotes was publicly advertised, and the process of application required the consultants to detail their qualifications.

Of the final list of consultants assembled by Council, some have previously worked in the CFA in various roles.  Others have completed specific courses on how to create Bushfire Management Statements including configuring the final Bushfire Attack Level.

The consultants will be assessing a resident’s individual land, and how building and vegetation on that piece of land can be managed. The consultants do give consideration to the surrounding land as a risk, but note that an individual landowner does not have control of that land.

There are six highly qualified consultants on the list of approved assessors, all the details of which are currently published in the Fire Recovery section of Council’s website.