Eden resident for 48 years, Leone Fairweather has been a driving force behind a petition seeking immediate attention for hazard reduction to heavily vegetated areas adjoining and surrounding Eden township.
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Ms Fairweather, together with her friend Margaret Sheaves, sent a joint letter to newly appointed NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Rob Rogers in June 2020.
As yet they report they have received no response.
The letter stated:
"As you can see by our joint letter, Margaret and I are totally desperate to see some burning off done at the north end of Eden township and at the old cannery site in Eden and on the foreshore of Twofold Bay.
"As a newly appointed commissioner, we're hoping for innovative leadership from yourself to better manage the safety of life and property from bushfire threat, than has been the case thus far.
"We have found that while local firefighters, who so generously give up their time and safety in the service of our communities, know firsthand how to manage burning off priorities in the local area, they do not have permission to act on their knowledge.
"This results in little or no action.
"We would like to see:
- The threat of bushfire to be recognised as a national problem, since Climate Change has made it so;
- Firefighters to be paid employees of the Rural Fire Services of each state in Australia;
- More credence given to the way in which the Aboriginal people managed burning off procedures, for 40,000 years.
"We look forward to receiving your response to our plea for assistance."
Not receiving a reply, Ms Fairweather initiated a petition stating similar sentiments to garner local support, in the hope a volume of signatures would more effectively lead to outcomes.
She and six friends have been circulating the petition in Eden for the last three weeks and have obtained more than 200 signatures.
"We are just concerned citizens, we had nightmares after last summer season, we'd prefer not to go through that again," Ms Fairweather said.
"We need to see action taken to better protect life and property.
"I was cheered to hear news this morning that included in the 76 recommendations from the NSW Bushfire Inquiry was the topic of burning off closer to townships.
"I'm still going to send the our petition to Commissioner Rogers as well as our local member and various other government entities when we have collected more signatures.
"This is what the people in this town are requesting - the bush comes in between built up areas all over town - the undergrowth only needs a flame or a few sparks to start it off.
"It's about time we paid attention to the way Indigenous folk have looked after the forest for 40,000 years, burning undergrowth and not trying to burn too much at once, it's a more responsible way to approach management.
"We've got to learn to do things differently," Ms Fairweather said.
The petition is available to sign at Eden Newsagency, Eden Post Office and Marty's Garage.
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Leah Szanto
Regional journalist covering the Far South Coast of NSW.
Regional journalist covering the Far South Coast of NSW.
