Environment groups call for regional fuel reduction burn targets

Tuesday, 10 August 2010

Media release

The Victorian National Parks Association and the Wilderness Society today released a more detailed response to the final report of the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission, addressing the issues of fuel reduction burning, clearing of roadside vegetation and planning, and native vegetation controls.

The groups reiterated their support for an effective, scientifically-based planned burning program across Victoria, but advocate a science-based series of regional burn targets, suited to local priorities and habitat types.

"As a general rule, around towns and the urban fringe, fuel reduction plans should prioritise the protection of human lives, while in more remote areas burning plans should prioritise the protection of biodiversity and other conservation values while also helping reduce fuel loads," said the Wilderness Society's Victorian Campaigns Manager Gavan McFadzean.

"A simplistic 5% statewide annual target for prescribed burning will lead to perverse outcomes both for public safety, and biodiversity," said VNPA project officer Philip Ingamells.

"A single large statewide burn target tends to encourage more burning in remote and wilderness areas, where large burns can be conducted relatively easily, and discourage burning near townships where even small burns are difficult and expensive, but contribute little to the statewide target," he said.

"The expert panel that advised the Commission on controlled burning supported a minimum 5% target for 'foothill forests', not the entire state, so it's puzzling that the commission adopted a broader 'one size fits all' approach without further recommendations on how to deal with the different vegetation types across the state," said Mr Ingamells.

"We urge the State Government to move as swiftly as possible towards a series of science-based local or regional planned burning targets across the state," said Mr McFadzean.

"This allows regional accountability. Currently, if a planned burning program fails in Central Victoria, the target can be achieved by burning more in East Gippsland, or the Mallee, which is not strategic," he added.

"Specific regional or local targets recognise that different types of bush respond to fire in different ways, allowing greater protection for wildlife and greater local accountability," said Mr Ingamells.

"The commission recognised the need for significant increase in research and monitoring, this should be a high priority to refine regional targets in the years ahead," he said.

"We also believe that areas burned by wildfire should be considered in local fuel reduction burning targets, whenever they contribute to effective fuel reduction in a region," concluded Mr McFadzean.

The groups also suggested some refinement to roadside clearing controls proposed by the Commission.

"Victoria is the most cleared state in Australia. In many places roadsides are of high conservation significance and in some cases they are the last remaining refuges of native vegetation in a sea of cleared farmland," said VNPA Executive Director Matt Ruchel.

"Clearing controls on roadsides should not be a one size fits all. Roadside clearing controls should be developed with different rules for highly fragmented, relatively intact or highly forested areas, based on an integrated risk and ecological assessment," said Mr Ruchel.

Background information

More details of the groups' analysis and response to issues surrounding fuel reduction burning, clearing of roadside vegetation and planning controls can be found at www.fire.vnpa.org.au.

For comment please contact:

Philip Ingamells, VNPA - 0427 705 133 (fuel reduction burning).
Gavan McFadzean, TWS - 0414 754 023 (fuel reduction burning).
Matt Ruchel, VNPA - 0418 357 813 (roadside clearing & planning controls).

For media assistance please contact Louise Matthiesson, 0417 017 844.