A Black Saturday survivor whose home was
the only one standing after the bushfires raged because he illegally
cleared his land, says property owners should be allowed to take matters
into their own hands if authorities don't act.
Liam
Sheahan cleared trees and shrubs within 100 metres of his home in the
hills at Strath Creek, central Victoria, in 2002 to create a firebreak
in case bushfires ever hit.
While Mr
Sheahan thought that was a 'common sense' decision, the local council
did not, taking him to court where fines and legal costs left him
$100,000 out of pocket.
However his
decision to clear the land was vindicated on February 9, 2009, when his
property was still standing after Black Saturday bushfires devastated
the tiny town. "
No comments:
Post a Comment