Building and Plumbing Industry Commissions representatives will be on-site from Thursday 19 February to provide people affected by the fires with copies of the publication A guide to a safe return to your property and to provide advice on building and plumbing matters.

The Building and Plumbing Commissioner, Mr Tony Arnel, said the Victorian Government was working hard to expedite the safe rebuilding of bushfire affected homes, businesses and communities. "While many people arekeen to return to their homes, the Victorian Bushfire Recovery and Reconstruction Authority has advised that it is not safe to return to live permanently on your land until the site has been cleaned up. Fire-affected buildings can still be extremely dangerous as they pose significant risks to people who want to look through the rubble or start to clean up," he said.

The guide is designed to make people aware of the hazards and to help them stay safe. It provides a checklist of things to ensure personal safety upon arrival at a property through to issues such as water, electricity, gas, demolition, building and plumbing matters and temporary housing. Other topics covered in the guide include safety measures required due to the risks posed by asbestos, chemicals and hazardous materials.

The guide will also be sent to all the Councils in the affected areas and can be downloaded from the Building Commission website www.buildingcommision.com.au.

People can call the Bushfire Building Advice Line on 1300 360 320 if they have any questions relating to the guide or on other building and planning matters. Advice and information to assist people affected by the bushfires return to their properties safely will be available at all community services hubs.