Comments on: Australian Bush Fire Protection

By: Marta A. Putrananda

Marta A. Putrananda — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 05:10:15 +0000

Hi Marc,

There is an Australian distributor for this thermo-gel. Please check this one: http://www.forestsystems.com.au/

I don’t understand why red tape bureaucracy can be more important than saving peoples lives and their houses…

By: garry

garry — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 04:27:45 +0000

g,day MARC & fellow bloggers this issue is close to my heart as the restrictions on building in fire prone areas are often more emotioal than practical, and based on un realistic out dated information and budgets, NO amount of money can replace the lives lost and the heart ache caused buy old thinking. we have a huge amount of inovative new products available but australians are slow to take on new ideas which is sad as we are often the instigators of fantastic inovations, each state has expensive and different tests but fire is fire all over the world cheers garry

By: Tania McGregor

Tania McGregor — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 04:14:23 +0000

Thanks Marc

This information gives me hope that the devastation in Victoria was not in vain. How can we direct the anger of this enormous tragedy into ensuring that this product is available in Australia ASAP?
Firstly It needs to be part of our Bushfire Action Plan. It is clear now that everything else is
I will be asking questions of our local CFS members in Adelaide Hills.
I ask that we all question our state and federal members of parliament to ensure that the product is able to be made here in Australia in the future and in the short term can be imported easily.

We are not out of the bushfire season yet and I for one do not want to see this devastation repeated
Tania

By: Dr Marc Dussault

Dr Marc Dussault — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:28:19 +0000

When I first came to Australia, I investigated importing a product that did the same thing as this gel (from the US) but the reality was that the bureaucratic red tape was too much to try to overcome so we ditched the idea.

It’s sad to think a solution exists that can save properties and lives is sitting in a warehouse in California when Australian homes are being burnt to the ground.

I don’t really want to get on a soapbox about this, but I sure hope someone does. This carnage and destruction is a natural tragedy that is only matched by the political travesty of bureaucratic ‘regulations’.

I am all for ‘quality control’ for imports, but I have to ask the question – if it works in California, with no residual environmental side effects… “What’s the hold-up?”

By: Andrew Powell

Andrew Powell — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:56:00 +0000

Marc,
That is an amazing product. I have posted it on my facebook.

Also here is a great idea for portable housing.

http://www.habitaflex.com/index.php?tabs=H|H

Andrew

By: Garry Harper

Garry Harper — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 06:30:10 +0000

THANKS Marc I remember the episode well, as I was investigating new products to protect our POLEFRAME STYLE HOMES in bush fire areas I came across various products and paints available in the USA BUT our strict testing standards and different laws that differ from each state cause long delays and expenses for companies to market these life saving innovations.
Garry