The Beverley Naturalists Club have nothing but praise for the work of the Department of Fire and Emergency Service (DFES) officers in reducing fuel load around Beverley.
DFES has been undertaking mitigation works in wheatbelt town sites and along the Avon river, to reduce the fuel load and bush fire risk this presents to the community.
They were the best program to ever come to Beverley and we could not have done what we did without them
- Beverley Naturalists Club president Phyllis Facey
Beverley Naturalists Club president Phyllis Facey said the officers helped the club protect Brooking Street Reserve from being a potential fire risk.
“We have been fighting to save the reserve from being burnt for the last 15 years,” she said. “This program is fabulous as it recognises extreme fire risk properties, works with the people who have the risk and empowers us to reduce the risks.”
Phyllis said the land is an important area for the community, home to native flora and fauna and Shire walking trails.
“There are many species of orchids, wildflowers and birds,” she said. She also said 12 years ago there was a reported sighting of an endangered Red-Tailed Phascogale.
The Beverley Naturalists Club is working on enhancing the natural beauty of the area. “We have Black Cocky breeding tubes to put up and some bat breeding boxes to go up,” said Phyllis. “We are very happy because the biodiversity in this reserve is intact and unharmed – and we have the buffer zone that will protect lives and homes in the event of a fire which keeps DFES happy.”
There is a chance the mitigation works will not be funded again by the government. Phyllis said this would be unfortunate for communities in the Avon Valley and wheatbelt.
“This would be a huge shame because it is a real benefit for small communities to work with environmental groups, to get fire protection on our reserves without destroying them,” she said.
“They were the best program to ever come to Beverley and we could not have done what we did without them. We don’t know how to ever repay them for the peace of mind they have given us.”