In the early 1970s I studied the impact of urban sprawl throughout the Dandenong Ranges and the threats posed by bushfire. Considerable professional research had been undertaken and commonsense recommendations made even then.
Since that time spineless, vision-free pollies from all points of the political spectrum have just continued to 'let it happen'.
As well as other major fires we have had the catastrophic fires of Ash Wednesday 1983 & Black Saturday 2009. Yet still the lessons have not been learnt while our pollies defend the indefensible.
IMO major systemic changes are needed at managerial levels of our emergency services and in the implementation of urban development plans.
Government must create special large capacity rapid response units capable of stopping blazes anywhere in the state in the early stages. IMO one or two choppers for the whole state is a sick joke.
