Properties in Sunshine North, Derrimut and Sunshine West are the least prepared for the fire season, Brimbank council inspections have revealed.
The council issued 779 fire hazard reduction notices – mostly in Derrimut, Sunshine North and Deer Park – after inspecting 1800 vacant properties over the past financial year, its recently released annual report details.
Of those notices, 187 were issued to land owners for infringements, while 103 properties had to be cleared by council contractors.
Sunshine North, Derrimut and Sunshine West were Brimbank’s top three hotspots for fire hazard infringements.
Brimbank city development director Stuart Menzies said residents should get their properties fire-ready as soon as possible.
“Keeping properties in a tidy manner and removing long grass, fallen branches and rubbish are some of the simple precautions everyone should take to keep their properties fire-safe,” Mr Menzies said.
The annual report also revealed that 986 days were lost due to workplace injuries, with 735 days lost in the infrastructure and
environment division. Thirty-four WorkCover claims were made, including 16 “serious” claims and 21 for time lost due to injury.
Corporate and community relations director Helen Morrissey said this was a relatively low number of claims from the council’s 1300 staff, and most involved staff working in “our outdoor operations, with the main causes being slips and trips and manual handling incidents”.
As well as the very public, unsuccessful case of Sunshine West dog Mylo, on which the council spent nearly $300,000 in legal fees, 974 dogs were picked up by officers. Six dog owners were prosecuted after investigations of dog attacks.
Despite these costs, the council achieved a surplus of $31.42 million as of July 1.
Ms Morrissey said an early payment of $9.6 million from the federal grants commission was a big factor in this surplus.
“Funds of $16 million allocated for capital works were not expended during the 2014-15 financial year, and were carried over,” she said.
