GRANT District Council will send two volunteer crews to help recovery efforts in fire ravaged areas near Kingston and Kangaroo Island as part of a statewide local government response.
Elected members gave the green light on Monday for two staff-based crews to head to the Keilira fire ground near Kingston and the fire disaster zones at Kangaroo Island.
Under the state emergency management plan, the Local Government Association coordinates a response from councils across the state.
Grant District Council has been contacted with broad requests to help local government areas with bushfire response and recovery efforts.
Seven council staff members have expressed interest in heading to fire zones.
Given the risk and uncertainty at the fire zones, staff cannot be compelled to act in emergency situations or attend fire affected areas.
More than 25,000 hectares of land have been destroyed in the Kingston District Council area and a staggering 210,000 hectares at Kangaroo Island.
It is understood more than 25,000 koalas have died in the Kangaroo Island inferno, along with dozens of homes and other structures.
At this week’s meeting, council chief executive officer Darryl Whicker flagged sending crews to both Kangaroo Island and “closer to home” at the Keilira fire ground.
“This could be us in the future and has been in the past,” Mr Whicker told the chamber.
He said the local government response would help staff at the fire grounds receive breaks and get supported.
Mr Whicker said tasks would likely include creating firebreaks and removing animals.
But he said it was not feasible to transport heavy machinery to Kangaroo Island given the distance, but council could offer a grader to Kingston.
During robust debate on the issue, Grant District mayor Richard Sage warned the fire events demonstrated the looming risk facing South East communities.
“There is hot weather coming – these are tenuous times,” Mr Sage said.
He foreshadowed the need to investigate how to manage fuel loads in the district into the future, including along roadsides.
Mr Sage said Carpenter Rocks Road and Riddoch Highway near Tarpeena needed attention and warned coastal communities – including Nene Valley and Carpenter Rocks – would be in a potential perilous position if a major fire occurred.
“Once the dust settles, we need to look at fuel reduction in native forest areas – there are lessons to be learnt,” he said.
Meanwhile, council has adjourned a decision whether to donate money to fire affected areas from its emergency assistance fund.
“Council has a disaster relief donations policy, which provides council with the opportunity to support communities stricken by natural disasters,” Mr Whicker said in a report.
The policy requires the fund maintain a balance of $100,000 – it currently sits at $105,000.
Following the devastating 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires, the former Bond Corporation donated two houses in Tarpeena for the purpose of providing housing on a concessional basis for victims.
The properties were sold and the proceeds deposited into a council reserve fund.
