As the smoky haze lifts from Sydney we’re all left wondering what just happened, what’s still to come and what should we be doing to change things.
As the world watches in horror Australia is being ravaged by the worst wildfires seen in decades. Huge swathes of the country have been burnt, people have lost their lives, homes have been destroyed and wildlife has been devastated.
And we still have 6 more weeks of summer to get through yet!
Sadly the bushfires have also been marked by a bitter debate about what or who is to blame, with all the finger pointing and point scoring that comes with it.
No doubt there will be numerous official enquiries-and even a Royal Commission I believe-that hopefully will come up with sensible & practical actions we can all take to make sure such a crisis doesn’t happen again.
Homes and how to protect them will no doubt be a crucial aspect of all that.
I’ll let the federal, state & local governments come up with new reforms and rules on where, how and what to build-particularly on bush blocks-in future that cuts fire risks to a minimum.
But what I am hearing from industry is the value that installing home or building sprinkler systems can have in protecting property.
It’s so far fairly niche but that should change and should be one reform government can champion.
There are no doubt some challenges. For a start it’s still expensive to do, but costs will drop as demand rises. I also think there’s a good case for public subsidies, rate discounts, insurance breaks and/or DA incentives when building or re-building.
Unfortunately sprinkler systems are not mandated in the Building Codes. That needs to change and it’s something we and others in the industry will be working on.
The other issue is water. These sprinkler systems work like a dream when attached to mains water supplies-and I’ve heard some amazing stories-but can face problems when on tanks. That’s an area that also needs discussion as solutions are also possible here too.
You will hear more from me on this topic as we gather more evidence from the fires, and whilst I do not want to appear opportunistic in the face of so much tragedy, we should look to the future and be open to good new ideas.
Cheers
John Fennell
