MACEDON Ranges Council has approved township protection plans for Macedon, Mount Macedon and Woodend but has not named neighbourhood safer places in any of those towns.
In August the three towns were among 52 across the state to be listed as most vulnerable to bushfires.
The township protection plans and neighbourhood safer places are State Government initiatives following the interim report of the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission.
At a special council meeting in Kyneton last week, councillors voted to approve a report that recommended the approval of the township protection plans with no neighbourhood safer places.
However, the council is still considering if Buffalo Stadium in Woodend could qualify as a neighbourhood safer place because negotiations between the Municipal Association of Victoria and the State Government regarding indemnity are continuing.
Neighbourhood safer places, also known as places of last resort, are determined by the CFA based on two criteria - the distance to hazardous vegetation and the potential radiant heat that will affect the site.
In the report prepared by municipal emergency resources officer Barry Whelan it was noted the timelines for the development of the plans have "been very tight and the process has been made very difficult".
The CFA will now publish the township protection plans for the three towns on its website. The plans will also be printed and distributed in the towns.
The plans consist of three parts to provide a planned response to a bushfire within or close to a town. Each plan is designed to provide pre-determined actions that will enable quick and informed decision-making by community and emergency services.
Part one is a community information sheet that residents and tourists can freely access to obtain the latest information.
Part two are township planning factors that enhance the initial operational response to a fire impacting the town, including traffic management points, essential and other community infrastructure, and high risk environments.
The third part is fire prevention, detailing works such as fire breaks and vegetation management for the town.
Councillors' debate centred on the purpose of maps within the township protection plans, which are intended to provide community information but
not give residents an evacuation procedure.
Mayor John Letchford said the council was continuing to work with the CFA and DSE to find a neighbourhood safer place in Woodend.
"We recognise it is critical to have a safer place, but at this stage there is no safer place in these areas."
Cr Letchford said the Buffalo Stadium was only a possibility as a neighbourhood safer place at this stage.
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