On the 26th of November ABCD Inc. held a community workshop to progress the establishment of a Resilience Action Plan (RAP) for the communities of Bell, Clarence, Dargan and Newnes Junction.  

Over 30 local residents attended, with the lively discussions informed by a number of subject matter specialists including the Resilience Officer from Lithgow City Council, the NSW Rural Fire Service Western Area Command Risk Planning Coordinator, Tony Hawkins from the Australian Bushfire Consulting Group, and members of the Clarence Dargan Bushfire Brigade.

The workshop aimed to:

• Generate a collective understanding of our risk of bushfire and who “owns” the problem, across our villages
• Identify and prioritise ABCD Inc.’s next round of activities, subject to the availability of volunteers, funding and/or external support
• Ensure governments, emergency services & community support agencies clear messages about how they can help with future bushfire events.

OUTCOMES

Residents unanimously agreed that ABCD Inc should request that the RFS provide:

• A documented Community Protection Plan by June 2024 for Clarence, Dargan and Bell (RFS), listing a hazard reduction schedule, the responsibilities of all land managers, a registered tactical fire trail on the south western side of Dargan, and Neighbourhood Safer Places for Clarence and Dargan.

• ABCD Inc. representation on the local Bush Fire Management Committee to ensure residents’ bushfire risks are conveyed and understood, and to obtain community buy-in to their bushfire responsibilities, confidence in the plan and transparency regarding decisions effecting their safety.

Residents voted that the following actions (listed in order of priority) should be investigated by ABCD inc for their feasibility:

Action item No 5. (23 total votes): Residents understand their bushfire risk:

•      Vulnerable residents have a tailored fire plan
•      Neighborhood Safer Places are available for Clarence and Dargan
•       Residents can make an informed decision to stay or leave via training/information
•       Bushfire property assessments, a preparation checklist and insurance app are available to resident.

•        Community info (e.g. water sources, property access) available for use by emergency services / RFS Fire mapper
•        Street coordinators established to run a “Phone tree” & facilitate evacuations
•        Feasibility of telco - Starlink automatic switchover during phone/internet failures investigated.

Action item 4. (10 total votes) A welcome and information pack is available for new residents, featuring a welcome letter & gift, Directory of community contacts, Community information sources and short history of bushfire/other risks and information sources/ suggested equipment.

Action item 6. (7 total votes) ABCD Community Hall can function as a base for out of area support personnel during fires/emergencies and as a Recovery Hub for residents featuring community de-briefs, food/water/electricity, and information on support services.

The ABCD inc Committee will begin investigating the feasibility of each of the prioritized Actions and will get back to you with our results.

Further information on the voting results of the workshop are in the following table; with the actions identified in the  ABCD RAP AGENDA.pdf