PARKERVILLE will be a site of focus until May 31 for an RMIT research team looking to improve responses to unfolding bushfires.

The research results will go towards improving community evacuation planning, and the researchers will look to learn as much as possible from residents who experienced the Parkerville fires.

The team will hold interviews at the Mundaring arena committee room from May 23-31, the Mundaring Church of Christ on Friday, May 24 and Mahogany Creek Hall on Saturday, May 25.

RMIT University principal research fellow Erica Kuligowski, who will lead the team, said they hoped to speak to people who have been affected by the past bushfire season.

“Parkerville and the Shire of Mundaring is the first area that we’ve reached out to,” she said.

“Why the Parkerville fire? The fire affected an area that is definitely at high risk, and we recognise the area has experienced, and the people who live there, have experienced a number of fires in the recent past, including a fire that happened 10 years ago.

“We know in 2023 it was a potentially challenging fire scenario, a relatively rapid moving fire, and that can require rapid messaging and household responses.

“We are interested in talking to people about their experiences in the Parkerville fire so, for example, how they first became aware of the fire, what information they received, how they responded to the fire, and why; if and when they evacuated and how they reached safety or stayed safe during the event.”

The team will be offering $30 gift cards to voluntary participants as a thank you for taking part in the one-hour interview.

The team outlined that interview participants may skip questions they find distressing or upsetting, due to the nature of the topic.

They also noted resources will be available to participants to seek additional support should they become upset or distressed as a result of participation in the research project.

To sign up for in-person interviews, visit this website or reach out to Rosie Morrison, who can also allocate online interviews, at rosie.morrison2@rmit.edu.au