I've been over in Aireys Inlet this week, at another genuinely beautiful property with really lovely people. That's been a bit of a theme lately, getting to work on some special blocks with owners who clearly care about where they live, and it's one of the best parts of this job.
This one stuck with me, though, and I wanted to share why.
A lesson from people who've lived through it
The owners here lost their home in the Ash Wednesday fires all those years ago, and rebuilt afterwards. As you'd imagine, they understand bushfire risk in a way that most of us, thankfully, never will. It's not theory for them. They've lived through the worst of it.
One thing they said has stayed with me since. You can do everything right to prepare your property, and it's absolutely worth doing, but with a big enough fire on a bad enough day, there is still only so much anyone can do. Coming from people who've been through it, that lands differently. And what struck me most is that knowing all of that, they still prepare, every single year. They don't treat the unpredictability as a reason to do nothing. They treat preparation as worth doing precisely because it gives you the best chance, even knowing there are no guarantees.
Preparing your property—and having a plan
I think that's exactly the right way to look at it, and it's worth holding both ideas at once. Preparing your property genuinely matters. Managing your vegetation, maintaining defendable space, keeping your access clear, all of it is well worth the effort and can make a real difference. But it is never a guarantee, and part of being properly ready is respecting just how unpredictable and powerful these fires can be, and having a plan for yourself and your family, not just your property.
Getting ready while there's still time
Right now, bushfire preparation is well and truly in full swing. I'm seeing it across a lot of properties at the moment, owners getting their vegetation managed, their defendable space maintained and their access sorted while there's still time to do it properly. It's the busiest reason people are calling me. If it's on your list too, now is the time to get onto it, rather than leaving it until the season is already on top of us and everyone's trying to book the same work at once.
As always, the CFA is the place to start for proper bushfire preparation and planning advice, because every property is different. From there, I'm always happy to help with the vegetation side of whatever you decide to do.
If you'd like a hand, whether that's around Aireys Inlet, Anglesea, Bells Beach or anywhere along the Surf Coast and hinterland, get in touch and I'll come out for a free on-site look.
We work with you to open up your land, the right way.
Lachy