Sanctuary ‘not safe’

By Melissa Grant
A BUNYIP landowner has labelled metre-high grass in a nearby sanctuary a death trap.
Stephen Venus said it was pure luck that the Black Saturday fires didn’t rip through Bunyip Sanctuary but feared what would happen if fire did go through the area.
He said he asked the council to mow the area more than three weeks ago, but is still waiting.
Mr Venus, who lives in Doran Road, said grass and undergrowth at the sanctuary were out of control.
“I don’t think it’s been mowed for years,” he said. “The walking tracks are all overgrown.
“I don’t know why they call the thing a sanctuary; you wouldn’t take your kids there. If the snakes don’t get you, the blackberries will.”
Mr Venus also rang mayor Bill Pearson asking for the grass to be mowed, but was told he would have to wait as the council was undertaking fire clearing at Gembrook.
Cr Pearson later conceded that the state of Bunyip Sanctuary was a threat to residents.
“If that fire had come towards Bunyip it’s certainly a hazard,” he said.
“I feel sorry for the resident because the grass is too long there.”
Cr Pearson said there were rules the council had to adhere to when carrying out maintenance at the sanctuary.
“The sanctuary is a terrific thing and there are some areas where you have to leave the understorey long but in the open areas they have to clean them up,” he said.
“You have to leave the trees and shrubs, but blackberries, grass and the ferns have to be slashed low.
“One of the issues I’ll be raising on behalf of residents is that these blocks have to have the understorey cleared out.”
Cr Pearson said the council had mowed an eight-metre strip and cleaned up drains within the sanctuary and would soon bale grass for hay.
Cardinia Shire Council communications manager Paul Dunlop said grasses in the reserve had been cut in line with the Bunyip Sanctuary Master Plan.
“Fire management and access controls have been put in place to maintain the bushland it its native state and to minimise fire risk and these are documented in the master plan,” Mr Dunlop said.
“The Bunyip Sanctuary has been visited by council officers recently to ensure the vegetation works meet the fire prevention requirements.”
But Mr Venus disagreed. He said the safety of the community and firefighters were at stake.
“If we get a strong wind that’s where the fire will come from. It was purely luck that we were saved from Black Saturday,” Mr Venus said.
“No firefighters would go in there – it’s a death trap.”