By Abbey Cannan
A Noosa resident seeking advice and assistance in clearing ground fuel from bush areas adjacent to their house was left frustrated at the response from Noosa Council.
Noosa Council threatened the home owners with prosecution if they were to embark on any program to reduce ground fuel surrounding their property.
Noosa Heads resident Simon Gamble said this was an appalling approach by Council for many reasons.
“Only last year bushfires in this district threatened housing and caused untold damage in the local area,“ he said.
“The Royal Commission held following last year’s extensive bushfires throughout the country found that the greatest cause and accelerator of the fires was the amount of ground fuel existing in wooded areas in both farming land and National Parks.
“Not only are the wooded areas in our location a problem, as one only has to walk in The Woods at the western end of Hastings Street or in the National Park to find excessive ground fuel and, again, very close to residential precincts.
“There is very little to be gained by ignoring this issue and a great deal of risk to be minimised by implementing a program to reduce ground fuel in all wooded locations in the Shire.“
Noosa Council Development Assessment Manager, Kerri Coyle, said Council recently contacted residents regarding unauthorised tree clearing along the escarpment between homes in the Ridges and Palms developments and Lake Weyba.
“It was a condition of the development approval that this vegetation be preserved so as to screen the development and maintain a vegetated backdrop to the lake,“ Kerri said.
“The letter advised residents that fines may apply for unauthorised clearing and that the removal of any vegetation along the escarpment first requires Council approval.
“While this vegetation isn’t considered a significant fire risk to the residents in the area, Council continues to work with Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service to address concerns about bushfire risk.“
