Letter to the Editor – KEILIRA BUSHFIRE

I write to acknowledge the brave efforts of the firefighters who attend the Keilira fire whose selfless efforts contained and ultimately extinguished a bushfire that had the potential to be so much worse.

I like all members of our Limestone Coast community am so relieved that this significant fire was managed in a way that resulted in no loss of life.

I visited the fire ground last week and spoke directly with community members who had lost property and stock.  It was a sober reminder about the devastation caused by bushfire this season across the country in what has been a shocking start to summer.  

The community meeting in Kingston held in the aftermath of the Keilira fire last week reiterated the need for improved telecommunications, and, along with the State Minister Tim Whetstone and Nick McBride the Member for MacKillop, we heard loud and clear the need for a mobile phone tower at this location.

Like so many communities around the country, bushfire has underscored the importance of improved telecommunications and together, Nick and I continue to advocate (as we were prior to this fire) to ensure Keilira is included in the soon to be announced round five of the Federal Governments Mobile Blackspot Program.

I also commend the Kingston District Council under the leadership of Mayor Kay Rasheed (herself a significantly impacted landowner) and CEO Nat Traeger for the role the Council is playing in coordinating the recovery.

Tony Pasin MP

Federal Member for Barker