In the wake of Black Saturday, the Brumby led Government will be unveiling a new “Mega-Fire” warning for bushfires. The new category will be very similar to the cyclone warning system for major storms. The “Mega-Fire” warning will only be used a couple of times a year and will be the next step beyond the current “extreme fire danger warning”.

After approving all of the commission’s recommendations in principle on receipt of the interim report earlier this month, Premier John Brumby today will formally accept all 51 recommendations and outline guidelines for their practical application, including the building of neighbourhood safe zones.

What really caught my eye in the article was this:

Under the new vegetation rules councils will no longer be able to place the health of endangered flora and fauna above the potential threat to human life. Read the entire article here.

Black Saturday was a series of wildfires that burned on or around February 7, 2009 and claimed the lives of 173 people.You can read all about Black Saturday here.

Map of affected areas and number of casualties in each area. Black Saturday. Image source Wikipedia