Charlotte Varcoe
MOUNT Gambier City Council held a special council meeting on Tuesday night to discuss the emergency response process following the Crater Lakes fire.
Recommendations relating to budget expenditure, procurement and road and land management were endorsed, enabling the chief executive officer and council officers to progress with early assessment and recovery activities in the area affected by the recent fire.
All expenditure for immediate response to the fire and recovery activities, including road closures, assessment expertise and safety related materials and contractors required during the response and recovery process was approved by elected members.
It comes following council beginning its recovery plan for the Crater Lakes precinct.
More than 125 firefighters attended the fire in mid-January with 20 trucks from the Country Fire Service (CFS) and Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS).
The fire burnt almost 50 hectares at the popular tourist attraction.
The area was handed back into the control of council just days after the fire was extinguished.
Council chief executive officer Sarah Philpot said some areas had been reopened while others remained closed after being monitored by council workers and the MFS.
“We will continue to make assessments about the burnt areas and those areas less affected but still have a risk of hot spots or falling debris,” Ms Philpot said.
“Council is confident we are taking the right steps and safety precautions.”
Moving forward, council employees are expected to work alongside the MFS and Police to develop a recovery program for the popular area.
“The recovery program will work in stages with the first stage being the assessment process and immediate risk while also understanding the impacts of the fire and access issues,” the chief executive said.
“We are also continuing to understand the situation and get as much information as we can.”
Looking to the future, Ms Philpot said council would examine damaged trails, the fire breaks and vegetation destroyed by the blaze and what would be done to rectify it.
“Long term we will look at what trails we will rebuild and whether they will be the same or slightly different,” she said.
“We will also look at the heritage areas such as the Centenary Tower and consider how we bring the site back to its former beauty.
“Some of these stages of the recovery plan will be long term and others are immediate but we need the public to understand that safety is key and encourage people to keep out of the unsafe areas.”
