Tilba District community has its say!

Tilba District Community Bushfire Protection Planning Forum Outcomes

Following on from our 'Back to the Future' blog, Tilba District Community held its bushfire protection planning forum on 15 August.

The aim of the forum was to canvass the views of Tilba Community as to how we can be better prepared for future bushfire events.

5 areas of interest relating to improved preparation for bushfires were considered: water supply & infrastructure; fuel loads & hazard reduction; historic villages, farms & other properties; power infrastructure; communications & infrastructure.

62 participants from Tilba District community reflected on the experience of last summer's bushfires - 'what worked and didn't work.'

Further input was received via survey responses from locals who weren't able to attend the forum.

Working from the premise 'What should we be doing as a community and what should agencies be doing', guidelines were developed by participants to inform the design of solutions by relevant agencies.

The forum proceedings have now been written up - word for word, as a transparent record of all that was contributed by the community.

This document has also been provided to Eurobodalla Shire Council and relevant agencies - NSW Rural Fire Service, National Parks and Wild Life Service, Forestry NSW, and to Gulaga Board of Management :

Record of Tilba District Community Plann

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The community's concerns and proposed ways forward for water supply & infrastructure and fuel loads & hazard reduction were taken to a subsequent meeting on 26 August with representatives from Council and relevant agencies - NSW RFS (assigned to lead the process of consulting and working with the community on bushfire protection plans), National Parks and Wildlife Service and Forestry NSW.

200826 Draft Minutes - Tilba District Co

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The minutes of this meeting are attached here for Tilba District Community to view.

Sincere thanks to all who attended the planning forum and to those who contributed ideas via survey responses.

Thank you also to Phil Shorten (local resident) for facilitating this forum and to the Tilba District Community Bushfire Protection Committee for the time given to preparing for the forum and the subsequent meeting with agencies.

A girl with a pantry

Because sometimes you just need to stop and smell the flowers

Enjoy your next lunch date at Ellen’s Pantry.

Unwind with a pot of tea (or a glass of wine ), indulge in homemade sweets or treat yourself to a seasonal harvest platter.

Ellen’s Pantry is the perfect place to stop and take in the beautiful views and the historic streetscape of Central Tilba

Follow Ellen's Pantry on Facebook

Back to the future!

Tilba District residents are invited to a planning forum

15 August 2020

(see Submission to NSW Independent Bushfire Inquiry,

Mayor's response and invitation to forum below)

Thank you to local resident and photographer extraordinaire - Tom Skulander, who has captured the beauty and power of nature as we move forward from the devastation of the recent bushfire season. Tom's photos of our local landscape's recovery from bushfires are featured on ABC South East NSW f/b page

NSW Government commissioned an independent expert inquiry into causes and factors contributing the 2019/20 bushfires, the preparation and response by agencies and communities and recommendations for planning and preparing for future threat and risks of bushfires.

In May 2020 Tilba District Chamber of Commerce presented a submission to this inquiry on behalf of the Tilba District Community.

TCOC Submission Bushfire Inquiry copy

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In June 2020, Mayor Innes responded to the submission, advising that priority would be given to the development of specific Community Bushfire Protection Plans for Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba.

200618 ESC response to Chamber's submiss

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NSW RFS will lead the process of consulting and working with Chamber and the community in preparing these plans.

200618 ESC response to Chamber's submiss

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A Tilba District Community 'Bushfire Protection Committee' with representation from Chamber, Central Tilba Fire Brigade-NSW RFS, primary producers, Mystery Bay community, Tilba Tilba & South Narooma Land Care Group and Tilba Tilba Water Users Association has been set in place to consider how to canvass the views of the Tilba District Community in preparation for working with NSW RFS and other relevant agencies.

Hearing from the wider community, gaining its support and drawing on relevant local expertise is seen as a crucial next step in building on our understandings of local fire risk issues and possible ways forward.

With this in mind, a first and vital activity will be a facilitated planning forum, on Saturday 15 August for the purpose of bringing Tilba District community (residents who live between the three bridges at Dignams Creek, Corunna Lake and Akolele and out to Armitage Road) together to reflect on the experience of last summer's fires.

Issues for consideration will be the community's and agencies' preparation and response to recent fires - our strengths and areas for improvement.

The forum will identify priorities to be addressed in order to prepare and respond well to future fire events.

Areas of interest will include water supply and infrastructure, fuel loads and hazard reduction, power and communication infrastructures, historic villages, farms and other properties.

Insights gained from this forum will be shared with NSW RFS and other agencies assigned to work with Tilba District in Community Bushfire Protection Plans at a meeting to be held on 26 August 2020.

Flyer-planning forum-bushfire protect

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