Gippsland - How Now Gippy Cow
December 2010 Edition
Plan for the fire season
Thanks to the willingness of Gippsland's dairy farmers to share the lessons they learned during the 2009 Bushfires, GippsDairy, Dairy Australia and the CFA have been able to collaborate and produce dairy specific information about preparing for bushfires.
As a result all Victorian dairy farms have received a three page toolkit about how to 'Prepare your dairy farm for fire threat'. A key to minimising the impact of fire is to think ahead and be prepared. The toolkit helps you to develop your fire plan using the following three steps:
- Preparation: fuel breaks, power options and livestock, feed and machinery management
- Response: putting preparation into action
- Recovery: getting back to normal as soon as possible
An excellent four minute video takes you through planning tips step by step. It was made with the help of Danielle O’Loughlin who dairy farms at Berri Creek as well as being the Captain of the Berri Creek CFA.
Victoria is one of the most fire-prone areas in the world. Planning now can help you better manage any emergency situation (eg flood or storm), reduce disruption to your dairy business and save the lives of you and your family.
To see the toolkit and video visit www.dairyaustralia.com.au/bushfire
