CANBERRA WELL PREPARED FOR BUSHFIRE SEASON

The 2008/09 bushfire season starts today and is due to continue until March 31 2009, Minister for Police and Emergency Services Simon Corbell said.

"The ACT Emergency Services Agency's preparations for the bushfire season are well in hand," Mr Corbell said.

"The Bureau of Meteorology seasonal forecast is for a continuation of dry conditions and a hot summer for south east Australia.

"This is on top of exceptionally dry conditions from the drought that make every bushfire this summer potentially more difficult to manage.

"As a community we all need to prepare for the bushfire season by ensuring that fires don't get a start and that our homes and farms are cleaned up to protect them.

"The ACT Emergency Services Agency (ESA) has prepared well for the season with extensive pre-season checks, training, planning and community education activities undertaken by staff and volunteers over the last few months.

"Emergency services are ready to respond to bushfire threats over the next six months when there is an increased fire danger in the ACT. Canberrans should now make sure they take a pro-active approach to being prepared for the bushfire season ahead."

There are a number of steps residents can take to prepare their property for the bushfire season, including;

Cleaning out leaf matter from gutters;

Removing combustible material like dry timber, wood piles, rubbish and vegetation away from your home; and,

Preparing a home emergency plan.
More information on steps residents can take can be obtained by visiting the ESA website http://www.esa.act.gov.au/ or by calling Canberra Connect on 13 22 81.