The recent fires in rural Victoria have renewed fears among residents of Cobram and Barooga about the lack of hazard reduction burns in regional forest areas.

Barooga resident Jennifer Gaylard, her granddaughter Delilah Gaylard and concerned neighbours have started a petition calling for hazard reduction burns in the Murray Valley Regional Park and Cobram Regional Park.

Jennifer Gaylard said they were concerned about the accumulation of understorey fuel and escalating risk of bushfires in the area.

Mrs Gaylard said that despite continued appeals by residents and locals, hazard reduction burns in the area had not been completed in almost 10 years.

“You just feel like you’re hitting your head up against a brick wall because nothing seems to happen,” she said.

The online petition was started on January 14 — not long after the Yarroweyah fire — and now has more than 430 signatures.

“We’re just hoping that something will happen, that they’ll do something,” Mrs Gaylard said.

“We are very concerned about our bush over there, and we’re concerned about the animals out there as well as ourselves.”

Delilah Gaylard said it was only a matter of time before a fire started, with the amount of bush and undergrowth in the area.

“It will happen,” she said.

“It's a matter of ‘when’ it will happen, not ‘if’ it will happen.

“All it takes is one tiny spark.

“That bush is a hot spot, and we’re surrounded by it.

“It’s about minimising the most harm, and that’s what hazard reduction burns do.”

Forest Fire Management Victoria deputy chief fire officer Aaron Kennedy said his organisation reduced bushfire risk in “many ways”.

“From delivering our planned burning and non-burn fuel management programs, to preventing, detecting and rapidly deploying resources to new fires,” he said.

“Annual works in the Cobram area include slashing and maintaining fire access roads to ensure quick and safe access for firefighters and the community.

“In sensitive river red gum environments, fire management works are carefully planned to balance bushfire risk reduction with the protection of important environmental and cultural heritage values.”

Mr Kennedy said FFMV conducted regular patrols of camping areas during peak holiday periods and on total fire ban days to reduce the risk of accidental fire starts.

“Parks are also closed on days of catastrophic bushfire risk to help protect public safety and reduce the likelihood of bushfires,” he said.

The Gaylards, along with their concerned neighbours, are pleading with the authorities to listen to them and do something.

“The longer it goes on, the bigger the hazard becomes because it’s just going to keep growing ... and then the harder it is to do the hazard reduction burns,” Mrs Gaylard said.

To read the petition online, go to tinyurl/4favpvzy.

Alternatively, you can find paper copies of the petition around Cobram.

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Saturday, 31st July 2027

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