[This video has upbeat music playing throughout.]
[The video pans across native Australian bushland]
[On-screen text: Bushfire Preparedness Program]
[A man sitting comes to view]
[On-screen text: James Morrissey, Program Manager, Bushfire Preparedness Program]
James Morrissey: The Bushfire Preparedness Program has been designed to support schools with their vegetation clearance, schools that are at most risk.
So we provide funding and it helps them prepare their schools prior to the summer with basic vegetation clearance activities.
[The camera pans across an outdoor space at a school]
[A man sitting comes into view.]
[On-screen text: Matt Amery, Assistant Principal Woodlands Primary School]
Matt Amery: Our school is on a very large parcel of land. It's set in beautiful Langwarrin. We have around 900 students from prep through to grade six.
James: Schools qualify for the Bushfire Preparedness Program by being on the BARR. So that means they have been rated at category 1, 2 or 3 BARR risk - Bushfire At Risk Register. Then they're entitled to the program funding.
[The camera pans across outdoor spaces at Woodlands Primary School]
Matt: The works we've completed for the Bushfire Preparedness Program, got a large area at the front of our school which we get cleared annually. We’ve got some beautiful trees in there, but we get the undergrowth cleared along with the back part of the school.
We get our gutters cleaned a couple of times a year. A lot of pruning that gets done around the school, along with the arborist that has a fairly active role in checking that the trees are safe so that they're not adding to the bushfire load and making sure that they're safe all year round for the school.
[The camera pans across native vegetation and outdoor spaces at Woodlands Primary School]
James: We have a contingency fund so that schools that have one off, particularly necessary works from one year to another, they can ask for additional funding to do those works. They can use any remaining funds on activities that are going to reduce bushfire risk, such as replacing combustible materials, woodchips and retaining walls.
[The camera pans across outdoor spaces at a Woodlands Primary School]
Matt: We work closely with the VSBA and we submit quotes each year to have those works looked at, whether it's maintenance, whether it's contract for special works, a whole range of different things.
Annually we look at clearing of vegetation, gutters, pruning and particularly the maintenance of our trees.
[The camera pans across native vegetation.]
A white background appears with the VSBA and Victoria State Government logos.
[On-screen text: www.schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au]
A black background appears and white text appears.
[On-screen text: Authorised by The Victorian School Building Authority, 33 St Andrews Place, East Melbourne]
[Transcript ends]
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