Michael talks to Dr Kevin Tolhurst AM, Melbourne University fire ecologist, who has joined fellow bushfire experts in recommending that people should stop building in highly dangerous areas.

He says there were some areas of the Australian bush where houses should never have been built — or rebuilt.

“People shouldn’t be surprised that if the house burns down, that they’re not going to be allowed to rebuild because that property has perhaps already been identified as one that’s in a place too dangerous to live,” Dr Tolhurst said.

“If it comes as a surprise, not only do they have the trauma of losing things through fire, the trauma of not being able to rebuild adds to that problem.”