Avalon welcomes bushfire air defence

Victoria’s air defence against bushfires has been boosted with the arrival of two of the world’s biggest firefighting aircraft at Avalon airport. Each can carry more 12,000 litres of water, retardant or foam. In 2014-15, they dropped more than one million litres of retardant across Australia during bushfires. Environment Minister Lisa Neville said Victoria was bracing for another busy fire season, with the long-range weather forecast showing an increased risk of bushfires across the state.