NILLUMBIK: New listening sets at Strathewen
The Strathewen community has used a 2024 Nillumbik Community Fund grant as well as funding from the Strathewen Bushfire Relief Company to improve access to critical emergency information on high fire danger days.
Local residents have been able to purchase subsidised digital listening sets—giving them direct access to real-time fire-fighting radio communications.
The listening sets play a crucial role in keeping communities informed, providing immediate and localised updates from fire crews on the ground.
Before the Black Saturday fires in 2009, many Strathewen and Arthurs Creek residents relied on the analogue versions of these devices, often sharing information with neighbours via phone trees.
However, the analogue system has been closed down, leaving the community without a reliable alternative during dangerous fire seasons.
Lisal O’Brien, a Strathewen local who led the project, and the recipient of the 2023 Volunteer of the Year award at the Nillumbik Community Awards, highlighted the importance of these devices in local bushfire safety efforts.
“Grants from Nillumbik Council and Strathewen Bushfire Relief Trust enabled us to provide affordable listening sets to our community and give both schools a unit.
“The listening sets provide real-time radio traffic from the local brigade at an incident allowing listeners to gather information needed to keep themselves safe,” she said.
Rose McKimmie whose family goes back generations in the area, said she had had an analogue listening set for years. “It was really handy during Black Saturday, but it doesn’t work anymore.”
Photo clockwise from top left: Lisal O’Brien, Rode, McKimmie, Darren Bradshaw, Marley, Kayden and Quinn from Strathewen Primary School.