Coalition bushfire response fails to support vital fuel reduction research
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Media release
The Victorian National Parks Association says the Coalition's statement today on bushfire policy fails to understand the complexities of fire management, and the need to build our expertise in fire prevention.
"The Coalition appears to have ignored two important recommendations of the Bushfires Royal Commission," the VNPA's fire project spokesperson Phil Ingamells said.
"In two of its recommendations, the Commission clearly asked for monitoring of the effectiveness of fuel reduction burns, and the impacts on the state's biodiversity, and for annual reporting on those impacts. Yet the Coalition has made no mention of funding for these crucial recommendations.
"The Commission saw it as very important to move fire management strongly into an evidence-based process, and that requires a big boost to funding scientific studies of fuel management, and biodiversity management.
"Victoria's natural areas are arguably the most fire-prone in the world, and that means we need become the experts, rather than relying on studies performed elsewhere.
"The VNPA believes 10 per cent of the bushfire management budget should be allocated to research and monitoring.
"The Labor Government allocated $6 million to research and monitoring, and that amount, though still inadequate to the task, was a welcome move in the right direction."
VNPA executive director Matt Ruchel said the Coalition's stance on native vegetation regulations needs scrutiny.
"The Coalition's proposal to 'overhaul native vegetation regulations' calls for scrutiny. Victoria is the most cleared state in Australia, and we need to manage threatened species and ecosystems very carefully.
"Managing public safety in the face of bushfires is an enormous challenge, and biodiversity protection is also difficult. We somehow have to try our best to do both, but that will never be achieved without a realistic commitment to long-term research," said Mr Ruchel.
For comment
- Matt Ruchel - 0418 357 813.
- Phil Ingamells - 0427 705 133.