$4 million goes to local governments for ongoing bushfire mitigation works

Eight Great Southern and Wheatbelt local governments are to share in more than $4 million to assist their ongoing works to reduce bushfire risk. Twenty-five regional and metropolitan local governments have received Mitigation Activity Fund (MAF) grants to undertake more than 550 mitigation activities in high-risk bushfire areas. These grants are available to local governments that have their bushfire risk management plan endorsed by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services. This includes the Great Southern shires of Plantagenet, Gnowangerup, Jerramungup and Cranbrook. Mitigation activities undertaken by local government areas include building firebreaks, reducing fuel loads and hazard-reduction burns to minimise the potential risks of fires. Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said this year was expected to be a challenging bushfire season. “As the Emergency Services Minister, I welcome all the different strategies and programs that we can muster to be totally prepared for any major fires that we face,” he said. “The Mitigation Activity Fund grants program is a vital part of this approach and provides funding to empower and enable local governments to reduce the threat of bushfires in their area. “The McGowan Government is investing more than $140 million into ensuring our emergency services have the latest and the best equipment for the fire season, including large aircraft, new appliances, new facilities and personal protective clothing. “As part of this comprehensive strategy, it’s critical that our mitigation activities work in parallel to what we’re doing in other areas to help keep local communities and our firefighters safe. “Since 2017, more than $42 million has been allocated to 62 local governments to conduct over 5660 bushfire mitigation activities across the State. “I encourage all local governments throughout Western Australia to ensure they have an endorsed bushfire risk management plan in place and apply for mitigation activity funding to reduce their exposure to bushfires.” Shire of Plantagenet chief executive Cameron Woods said the Shire had received $295,000 to complete 54 treatments over the next 12 months. “The treatments aim to protect assets in the Plantagenet region that have been assessed as high or critical risk from bushfires. This is the second time the Shire has been awarded MAF funds, it was previously awarded $365,960 in 2021,” he said. “The funding and mitigation works follow the Shire of Plantagenet’s bushfire risk management plan which was endorsed by the council on 22 June, 2021. “The funds are managed and co-ordinated within the Shire by the bushfire risk mitigation co-ordinator (for Plantagenet and Denmark), as this program continues to mitigate bushfire risk across the region.” The list of Great Southern and Wheatbelt LGA’s that received funding (figures are excluding GST):