Township planning has always formed part of Country Fire Authority’s (CFA) community and operational preparedness and in response to the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission (VBRC), it was formalised with the introduction of Township Protection Plans, or Community Information Guides (CIGs), as they are now known.

The purpose of CIGs was to assist local communities in identifying and understanding their risks, and gain awareness of the actions, tools and resources available that could help mitigate them. The locations chosen for CIGs were those that if impacted by a significant fire could potentially become a large scale event.

They have now evolved to become a key source of information for the community and an important tool to emphasise the shared responsibilities and obligations between the community, the fire services and municipalities.

The key to the success of the CIGs has been the collaborative approach used to develop them. Agencies from a wide range of expertise contributed to the resource, including Parks Victoria, Local Government, Metropolitan Fire Brigade, Victoria Police, VicRoads and the Department of Sustainability and Environment. Even more importantly, the engagement of the local communities in the development of their CIGs ensured that the localised information was relevant and will be useful in the future.

Research conducted in late 2012 demonstrated that the local branding and content of CIGs were welcome by community, filled an information void for some, and for many they operate as a basic personal plan.

The paper will:

• Highlight the community information guides

• Provide a lessons learned perspective on the process; and

• Share the research relating to public acceptance and use of CIGs.