Merged: Victorian bushfires
Join Date: Feb 2005
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Looked for a thread on the commission activities and found nought.
here is just one story today which needs to be treated with dismay.
i guess anyone who wants to petition the commission to appear should try to do so if they have some constructive comments.
CFA lawyers object to criticism of fire chief
By Jane Cowan
Posted 10 hours 30 minutes ago
Russell Rees believes the CFA met its obligations to warn the community on Black Saturday. (AAP: John Woudstra, The Age/Pool)
The legal team for Victoria's Country Fire Authority (CFA) has objected to the way the fire chief, Russell Rees has been questioned at the Royal Commission into the Black Saturday bushfires.
The CFA's chief officer has now been in the witness box for three consecutive days.
The legal counsel representing the CFA, Neil Clelland SC told the hearing there had been implied and express criticism of both Mr Rees and the CFA without any opportunity to respond.
Mr Clelland objected to the manner in which the counsel assisting the commission, Jack Rush QC has questioned the fire chief.
Mr Clelland said the Royal Commission's purpose was not supposed to be to blame anyone but that the questioning of Mr Rees was inconsistent with that stated purpose.
The commission chairman Bernard Teague allowed the questioning to proceed.
Earlier today, Mr Rees told the hearing he believes the CFA met its obligations to warn the community on Black Saturday.
Mr Rees had previously admitted there were "system failures" that meant warnings to the public were less than ideal on February the 7th.
But this morning, Mr Rees said he believed the fire agencies had "tried their hardest" to meet their obligations to warn people.
Under questioning by Mr Clelland, the fire chief went further and said the fire agencies did more than try, they succeeded.
Mr Rees said he was the type of person who always tried to do better, but he did believe the fire agencies had successfully warned the community about all fires except the Kilmore East blaze.
The commission was told Black Saturday could have been a lot worse if it was not for the efforts of the CFA.
The CFA's legal team said fire agencies were successful in suppressing many of the bushfires.
Mr Rees said a fire that broke out at Upper Ferntree Gully at the base of the Dandenongs, for instance, could have been disastrous if firefighters had not managed to put it out.
The Black Saturday bushfires killed 173 people and left thousands more homeless.
The commission has three months to deliver its interim report.
here is just one story today which needs to be treated with dismay.
i guess anyone who wants to petition the commission to appear should try to do so if they have some constructive comments.
CFA lawyers object to criticism of fire chief
By Jane Cowan
Posted 10 hours 30 minutes ago
Russell Rees believes the CFA met its obligations to warn the community on Black Saturday. (AAP: John Woudstra, The Age/Pool)The legal team for Victoria's Country Fire Authority (CFA) has objected to the way the fire chief, Russell Rees has been questioned at the Royal Commission into the Black Saturday bushfires.
The CFA's chief officer has now been in the witness box for three consecutive days.
The legal counsel representing the CFA, Neil Clelland SC told the hearing there had been implied and express criticism of both Mr Rees and the CFA without any opportunity to respond.
Mr Clelland objected to the manner in which the counsel assisting the commission, Jack Rush QC has questioned the fire chief.
Mr Clelland said the Royal Commission's purpose was not supposed to be to blame anyone but that the questioning of Mr Rees was inconsistent with that stated purpose.
The commission chairman Bernard Teague allowed the questioning to proceed.
Earlier today, Mr Rees told the hearing he believes the CFA met its obligations to warn the community on Black Saturday.
Mr Rees had previously admitted there were "system failures" that meant warnings to the public were less than ideal on February the 7th.
But this morning, Mr Rees said he believed the fire agencies had "tried their hardest" to meet their obligations to warn people.
Under questioning by Mr Clelland, the fire chief went further and said the fire agencies did more than try, they succeeded.
Mr Rees said he was the type of person who always tried to do better, but he did believe the fire agencies had successfully warned the community about all fires except the Kilmore East blaze.
The commission was told Black Saturday could have been a lot worse if it was not for the efforts of the CFA.
The CFA's legal team said fire agencies were successful in suppressing many of the bushfires.
Mr Rees said a fire that broke out at Upper Ferntree Gully at the base of the Dandenongs, for instance, could have been disastrous if firefighters had not managed to put it out.
The Black Saturday bushfires killed 173 people and left thousands more homeless.
The commission has three months to deliver its interim report.
Why didn't old Melbourne town burn during the 1851 fires ?
Most buildings in 1851 Melbourne had wood shingle roofs that used to catch fire fairly regularly even with out bush fires. During the great fire of 1851, Melbourne residents were terrified by the wall of flame bearing down on them....why did old Melbourne town survive ???
Via Our Antipodes, (Mundie, 1852) pg 597, we find a comment about Melbourne just one month before the 1851 big fire;
20/01/1851; Melbourne is a well-laid-out ugly town, containing about 20,000 inhabitants. The adjacent country, visible from the highest look-out, is but poorly sprinkled with trees, and is, at present, herb less to a degree that i never saw elsewhere, even in New South Wales...
The reason methinks why old Melbourne didn't burn in the big fire of 1851 were the large fire break all round the town.
And lessons for today's bush towns.....
Most buildings in 1851 Melbourne had wood shingle roofs that used to catch fire fairly regularly even with out bush fires. During the great fire of 1851, Melbourne residents were terrified by the wall of flame bearing down on them....why did old Melbourne town survive ???
Via Our Antipodes, (Mundie, 1852) pg 597, we find a comment about Melbourne just one month before the 1851 big fire;
20/01/1851; Melbourne is a well-laid-out ugly town, containing about 20,000 inhabitants. The adjacent country, visible from the highest look-out, is but poorly sprinkled with trees, and is, at present, herb less to a degree that i never saw elsewhere, even in New South Wales...
The reason methinks why old Melbourne didn't burn in the big fire of 1851 were the large fire break all round the town.
And lessons for today's bush towns.....
Small minded Flannery lacks credibility...
"Debate on climate change in Australia is small-minded and a repeat of the Victorian bush fires is possible if global temperatures do not ease, climate change expert Tim Flannery says".
Sky News: Climate change debate limited - Flannery
Soooo, ...the 1851 fire never happened eh...
Sky News: Climate change debate limited - Flannery
Soooo, ...the 1851 fire never happened eh...
attempted rescue video released
Here is a link to a Video of the attempted rescue by winch of residents in path of the Feb 7th bushfire.
[URL="http://media.theage.com.au/national/national-news/bushfire-rescue-701259.html?"]
The lady of the house testified in the Royal Commission and says that media helicopter thought that the household was in path of fire and so hailed a passing police helicopter who lowered a crew member to investigate.
But the Lady of the house preferred to stay with her animals and friends and then the police heli was forced to move off as the fire approached.
Crew member stayed on the ground to supervise the evacuation.
All the residents then drove their way out with police and media in tow.
Through a freak wind change the house survived.
Given the conditions the hover is very stable
Mickjoebill
[URL="http://media.theage.com.au/national/national-news/bushfire-rescue-701259.html?"]
The lady of the house testified in the Royal Commission and says that media helicopter thought that the household was in path of fire and so hailed a passing police helicopter who lowered a crew member to investigate.
But the Lady of the house preferred to stay with her animals and friends and then the police heli was forced to move off as the fire approached.
Crew member stayed on the ground to supervise the evacuation.
All the residents then drove their way out with police and media in tow.
Through a freak wind change the house survived.
Given the conditions the hover is very stable
Mickjoebill
Lesson learnt - White paint puts out fire...
.
Via Our Antipodes, (Mundie, 1852) pg 597, we find a comment about Melbourne just one month before the 1851 big fire;
20/01/1851; Melbourne is a well-laid-out ugly town, containing about 20,000 inhabitants. The adjacent country, visible from the highest look-out, is but poorly sprinkled with trees, and is, at present, herb less to a degree that i never saw elsewhere, even in New South Wales...
The reason methinks why old Melbourne didn't burn in the big fire of 1851 were the large fire break all round the town.
And lessons for today's bush towns....
" THE Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission’s final report last weekend is the whitewash nobody even noticed.
For a whitewash, that’s as good as you can get... "
Column - Why were the Black Saturday guilty not named? | Herald Sun Andrew Bolt Blog
.
Via Our Antipodes, (Mundie, 1852) pg 597, we find a comment about Melbourne just one month before the 1851 big fire;
20/01/1851; Melbourne is a well-laid-out ugly town, containing about 20,000 inhabitants. The adjacent country, visible from the highest look-out, is but poorly sprinkled with trees, and is, at present, herb less to a degree that i never saw elsewhere, even in New South Wales...
The reason methinks why old Melbourne didn't burn in the big fire of 1851 were the large fire break all round the town.
And lessons for today's bush towns....
" THE Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission’s final report last weekend is the whitewash nobody even noticed.
For a whitewash, that’s as good as you can get... "
Column - Why were the Black Saturday guilty not named? | Herald Sun Andrew Bolt Blog
.
