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🇦🇺 Australia /Conflict & Security

Geelong Refinery Fire: Residents Slam Poor Communication During Emergency

From ABC Australia · (3d ago) English Critical tone

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Residents near a Geelong oil refinery criticized the emergency response to a fire, citing a lack of communication and updates from authorities.
  • Some residents reported not receiving alerts from the VicEmergency app and were unaware of the explosion for some time.
  • Incident Controller Anthony Pearce defended the response, stating fires are initially deemed small until assessed, and reassured the community there was no ongoing risk.

A significant fire at the Viva Energy oil refinery in Geelong has ignited strong criticism from local residents regarding the emergency response, particularly the perceived lack of communication and timely updates. The blaze, which erupted late Wednesday night following an explosion believed to be caused by a gas leak, burned for approximately 13 hours before being extinguished midday Thursday.

There wasn't further advice. I kept checking … the communication from the emergency services was not there.

— ResidentDescribing the lack of updates during the oil refinery fire.

Community members expressed frustration during a meeting on Thursday night, with several stating they received no alerts via the VicEmergency app. Some described the app's initial description of the fire as "small" as misleading, noting a complete absence of further advice. "We had zero response from the emergency services and when we look at the [VicEmergency] app it says it's a small incident," one resident recounted, highlighting a significant disconnect between the perceived severity and the official communication.

Viva communicates that it's got emergency response plans and community engagement, and we waited 12 and a half hours for any engagement.

— ResidentCriticizing the lack of community engagement from the refinery during the incident.

Concerns were also raised about the adequacy of Viva Energy's own emergency preparedness. Residents questioned why sirens, typically tested weekly, did not sound during the incident. Brett McBride, who lives nearby, learned about the fire through the news, expressing worry for his family's safety given the unknown blast radius of the refinery. "It's a very big, very scary thing to live near when things go wrong, and occasionally they do," he stated.

We had zero response from the emergency services and when we look at the [VicEmergency] app it says it's a small incident.

— ResidentExpressing dissatisfaction with the emergency services' communication during the fire.

Incident Controller Anthony Pearce defended the actions of the emergency services, explaining that fires are often initially classified as small until a full assessment is completed. He assured the community that the fire posed no ongoing risk and that specialist teams, including hazmat and the Environment Protection Authority, were assessing environmental factors. Despite these assurances, the incident has amplified residents' concerns about preparedness and communication protocols during major industrial emergencies in the region.

My first thought was probably 'shouldn't I have heard an alarm or something' … they [Viva Energy] test the siren once a week, but no.

— Brett McBrideNoting the absence of an audible alarm during the refinery fire.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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