Victoria marks Black Saturday a year on

Victorians will be asked to pause for a minute's silence on the first anniversary of the Black Saturday bushfire disaster.

The Victorian government will hold a low key commemoration in Melbourne for city people who wish to mark the anniversary on February 7, the Herald Sun newspaper says.

Premier John Brumby is expected to request that flags on all government buildings be flown at half mast on the day.

The head of the bushfire reconstruction authority, Christine Nixon, has also established a bereaved and memorial committee to advise her on how the anniversary should be observed.

The government will allow locals in fire-affected communities to determine how they mark the day, with events including formal gatherings, events for locals only and no observance at all among the possibilities, the newspaper said.

On February 7, 2009, bushfires raged across Victoria, devastating towns including Marysville and Kinglake and killing 173 people and injuring more than 5,000 in Australia's worst bushfire disaster.