Discussion: Bend of Isles

As a former canoeist, who passed this area many times (on the river side), l always thought this would be the perfect place to live, but unfortunately my job in fire industry prevented such a decision.

The forest floor in many places was clearer than anything else I've seen in northeast Melbourne so I suspect that a lot of hazard reduction burning gets done, but that is only going to be of marginal help if something big comes in from outside.

My horror location is the Warrandyte Research Road just north of the river. I think the bridge upgrade may have eased the risk just a little. But I can guess the bedlam at the roundabout in Warrandyte with a fire coming from the north west.

Although one bridge is better than no bridge.

Unless it is a Bridge Too Far

That bridge is a nightmare for all the reasons Neil mentioned. I used a fire there as one of my State fire exercise scenarios.

The Bridge upgrade has helped with traffic flow. Haven't met a line of traffic there for sometime, but then Covid may have something to say about that as well

I'm also guessing that in an emergency, the police would close the western approach to the roundabout so traffic crossing the bridge has a clear run.

But there is still the roundabout. And merging traffic from the two feeder roads.

You could make the Bridge one way (3 lanes of traffic) Those coming along the Research feeder keep right and head of to Templestowe/Harris Gully Rd, and those from Kangaroo Ground go left to Ringwood

To make sure Tash's house is okay?

Depends where the fire is, and how fast is travelling. If pre- wind change, you can assume from the north east and assume it will jump the Yarra. I think l started it to cause maximum chaos.

We were thinking of moving to Warrandyte. Now i might reconsider, or at least run any house past you guys.

I would think a choice to live there comes with two compulsory items. The first is really strong insurance coverage. The second is a bushfire plan that says leave beforehand. Maybe I am still scarred from January 1962. I remember the date because a birthday party was planned. Smoke was seen near Kangaroo Ground and I was evacuated and missed my birthday party. The fire travelled through Warrandyte to Wonga Park and beyond. I think the total death toll over three days was 32. Our house survived being in the middle of an open paddock, defended by a cement truck filled with water and neigbours with assorted equipment. So its 58 years since the last big one. My memory of then and now is that there are many more houses, and the bush is much thicker along the river.

Not many people have memories of that fire. Those were the days when it was around 20 years between big ones - the next big one was Ash Wed in 83. Much shorter period between big ones now.

I should have said last big one in Warrandyte-Wonga Park. I think the ones that have started there since have been controlled before doing too much harm.