The Shire of Murray has received $118,178 of bush fire mitigation funding for the first time.
Create a free account to read this article
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Awarded from the state's 2022/23 Mitigation Activity Fund Grants Program (MAFGP) the money will help reduce bushfire hazards that present an extreme, very high or high risk to assets.
The funding means the Shire can now undertake 10 bush fire treatments in Dwellingup, Nambeelup and Coolup.
Activities will include installing fire breaks/fire access tracks, reducing fuel loads and carrying out hazard reduction burns.
Shire of Murray president David Bolt said he was grateful for the funding.
"The Shire of Murray believes working with local people with a deep and detailed understanding of the area is essential to ensure effective and coordinated implementation of fire mitigation and hazard reduction measures and treatments," he said.
"However, the proper resourcing and funding of bush fire risk management can be a challenge.
"This money helps us prepare for, and respond to, the increasing risks posed by bush fires in our region."
Through MAFGP, 544 mitigation activities will be undertaken on state-owned land ahead of the 2022-23 high-threat bushfire period.
These activities include building fire breaks, reducing fuel loads and carrying out hazard reduction burns.
Completing these treatments during the cooler months is crucial to reducing the intensity of summer bushfires.
Emergency Services minister Stephen Dawson said fire mitigation is essential to preventing loss of life and property.
"Over the 2021-22 high-threat period, our fire and emergency services personnel responded to more than 900 bushfires that burnt nearly 1.7 million hectares of land," he said.
"It is imperative that local governments continue to be supported in their efforts to protect their communities by reducing bushfire risks."
Local governments and residents can visit https://www.dfes.wa.gov.au/site for more information.
