The heat’s on!

By Jim Mynard
EDRINGTON Ward councillor Brian Hetherton has foreshadowed a serious review of problems impacting on Harkaway.
Cr Hetherton said during a public meeting on whether or not an improved water supply was needed for fire fighting in the area, that it was important to ascertain who owned the problems that speakers alluded to.
“We will find out and the council will make a public statement,” he said.
Spirited discussion developed at the meeting called to discuss firefighting resources in the Harkaway area that raised other issues concerning the town’s welfare.
When discussion wavered from the agenda, Cr Hetherton pulled it back, but assured residents that there would be further meetings and further investigation of issues raised.
The meeting passed two motions calling on the council and CFA to provide more support and assurance to residents.
Former Berwick councillor Warwick Glendenning claimed during the last fire season that the water supply for fire fighting in the Harkaway area was inadequate.
Cr Hetherton said in response that he wanted to hear other views and arranged for Country Fire Authority and South East Water representatives to address the meeting.
Berwick Fire Brigade captain Alan Boyd said the Berwick, Narre Warren North and Narre Warren East Fire Brigades covered the Harkaway district.
He said the brigades had 10,000 litres of water in their initial attack vehicles and listed other sources of water, including 250,000 litres at the new school building.
He said that in the event of a major fire the brigades would ferry water in.
Captain Boyd said the fire service managed itself to cope with existing conditions and was not in a position where it pressed for a better water supply.
However, Mr Glendenning said Captain Boyd’s assessment was based too much on the ideal world.
“During a fire season it is often not an ideal world and we have our trucks called away to wild fires in other regions,” he said.
Mr Glendenning said also that during the summer many of the tanks and dams were only at about 10 or 20 per cent capacity.
Speakers expressed concern that during the 1983 Ash Wednesday wild fire Harkaway residents were forgotten and were given no guidance on what they should do.
Captain Boyd said enormous progress had been made in fire protection during the past 20 years and advised residents to become familiar with fire protection methods.
The meeting adopted motions that it endorse remarks made and that it ask the council to consider establishing water tapping points at Chadwick Road and Sewell Drive.
And that the council, in conjunction with the CFA, ensure that a ‘Fire Ready Victoria’ program was put in place at Harkaway.
The Gazette will publish more from the speakers next week.