With a hot, dry Summer predicted, Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch is encouraging Coasties to be prepared by joining local Rural Fire Brigades at a Get Ready Weekend event this weekend, September 16-17.
Get Ready Weekend is held each September ahead of the official start of the NSW bushfire danger period on October 1, with RFS members hosting community events across NSW to encourage residents and landowners to plan and prepare for the coming bushfire season.
Tesch said it was a perfect time to remind the community that bushfire preparedness was everybody’s business.
“We are expecting a very hot and dry summer this year and it is important that community members plan ahead so that you know your risk and what to do in the event of a bushfire,” she said.
“Get Ready Weekend is a great, family fun opportunity for locals to get out and meet our local RFS teams, with plenty of activities to entertain the kids, while educating the whole family on bushfire safety.
“In the face of increasingly extreme weather events, it is important that we work together to decrease our communities’ risk.
“Getting ready for the bushfire season by creating a bushfire survival plan with experienced RFS team members is a fantastic way to do this.”
Following several years of wet weather, grass and scrub has grown across NSW and many areas are seeing substantial new growth, which significantly increases the risk of fire as these areas dry out.
Coasties are reminded that our emergency services are conducting frequent hazard reduction burns during this time and that increased smoke during burns is common.
“Backburning is a super important way to prepare for our coming hot, dry fire season and I would like to thank our RFS teams for the work they do across the year to keep our community safe,” Tesch said.
Get Ready Weekend events will be held by the following RFS brigades on September 16: Erina, 9am-3pm, Gosford Boat Ramp, Dane Dr; Narara, 10am-2pm, 2 Manns Rd; Somersby, 9.30am-11am, Hensons Rd, and 11.30am-1pm at Reeves St; The Bays, 10am-2pm, Deepwater Plaza, Gloria Jeans entry; Berkeley
Vale, 10am-3pm, 78B Shannon Pde; Ourimbah, 10am-3pm, 12 Ourimbah Creek Pde; Lake Munmorah, 11am-4pm, 10 Alister Ave; Wadalba, 9am-2pm, 155 Louisiana Rd/Wahroonga Rd; Charmhaven, 10am-3pm, Lot 1 Parkside Dr.
On September 17 events will be at Patonga, 10am-2pm, 45 Patonga St; Spencer, 10am-2pm at 4778 Wisemans Ferry Rd; Dooralong, 10am-2pm, Dittons Rd; Yarramalong, 1pm-3pm, 1619 Yarramalong Rd.
Warnervale brigade’s event will be on September 24, 11.30am-3pm at The Dam Hotel and Gwandalan RFS will be on September 27, 7pm-8.30pm at 120 Kanangra Dr.
Mangrove Mountain Rural Fire Brigade will hold its event on October 21, 9am-3pm at Mangrove Mountain County Fair.
For more information and other Central Coast locations, search Get Ready Weekend at rfs.nsw.gov.au
Source:
Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch