I was in Kilmore before Christmas, having coffee with Bill Coppinger (Cockatoo member) who heads up the Central Ranges Local Learning & Employment Network. We talked about the region’s opportunities to intelligently plan its economic and social infrastructure, rather than succumb to more urban sprawl.
I then tracked to Whittlesea and Kinglake en route to the more familiar territory of Noojee, Neerim South and Gippsland. It was a spiritual reawakening to experience the forest canopy, the dappled light and prosperous small communities. A whole tapestry of wineries, nurseries and arts and craft businesses have sprung up.
Black Saturday has changed everything. It was a tragedy at many levels, and the Royal Commission will hopefully set new directions. Our modest contribution is to ponder the longer-term economic ramifications, particularly the impact on investor attractiveness of fire-prone regions across Australia. In this regard, the sheer size of Black Saturday must adversely impact on economic activity in ALL areas surrounded by significant forests, unless he investor perceives there are adequate mitigation measures in place.
But how do you mitigate against a firestorm consuming everything in its path? Victoria is fortunate to have a Premier that understands place and regional Victoria. We will return to this issue next month.
