RESIDENTS living in five of Singleton’s rural districts have no safe place under the Neighbourhood Safe Place (NSP) program to escape a bush fire.

A concept evolved out of the “Black Saturday” bush fire in Victoria, the NSP program aims to protect human life during the immediate threat of a bush fire.

Mount Royal, Lambs Valley, Howes Valley, Putty and Glennies Creek do not have a safe place for residents to go according to the Singleton Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC).

At a meeting held on November 17, the LEMC identified areas in local districts used as a neighbourhood safer place – places of last resort however these five areas were listed as unsafe or had no areas that fit assessment criteria.

Areas designated as a NSP were Lake St Clair Recreation Area for Carrowbrook residents, Bulga locals could use Bulga recreation ground, Belford could use open space and school building, Darlington residents could use Allan Bull reserve, Glendonbrook residents were delegated Mitchells Flat Hall, Mirannie Hall for Mirannie, Jerrys Plains Community Hall for the Jerrys Plains community, Scotts Flat could use the school house and Rural Fire Brigade quarters while Whittingham had nil requirements.

Under the NSP, a program developed by New South Wales’ three emergency services, a safe place may be a building or an open space that can provide improved protection taking into account exposure to radiant heat, smoke and embers during the onset and passage of a bush fire.

Safe places are not fire refuges, evacuation centres, relief centres, recovery centres, assembly points or informational places of shelter.

The NSP list will be forwarded to the District Emergency Management Committee. The Hunter Valley Rural Fire Service provided the required information to the Singleton LEMC. The Rural Fire Service Geographical Information System (GIS) will collate and maintain a State-wide list of all the NSP’s.

A report presented to Singleton Council on Monday night said further information from the RFS and Council officers regarding the NSP’s would eventually be provided to the State Emergency Operations Controller.

Cr John Martin said it was important for residents to remember the NSP was not “fool proof” and urged locals not to be complacent.