Macedon Ranges council officers and several emergency service respresentatives toured Coliban Water’s three main reservoirs as part of fire season preparedness.
Representatives from the Country Fire Authority, Victoria Police, Macedon Ranges council and Fire Rescue Victoria visited the reservoirs earlier this month to meet with Coliban Water staff and share information.
Coliban Water asset lifecycle general manager Marsha McMonigle said attendees shared a common goal of protecting and supporting communities.
“It’s important to engage with our colleagues at these agencies and share valuable information about reservoir management. It’s about protecting our people and our assets in the event of an emergency – so for example, this could mean sharing details about key access points,” Ms McMonigle said.
“If there is an incident on our land, emergency services will also need to know where likely fire ignition points might be.”
Attendees are all members of the Macedon Ranges Municipal Fire Planning Committee, which is a cross agency committee coordinated by Macedon Ranges council.
“By providing a chance for them to get to know our reservoirs, it means we’re better connected, and we can have a conversation before it becomes a bigger issue,” Ms McMonigle said.
“We can all play a part in fire preparedness, and this is important given the Macedon Ranges can be one of the highest fire risk areas in the state.”
When preparing for the fire season, residents are urged to ensure that they have an alternate source of water, know who to contact in an emergency, and understand the risks at their property.
