NATURE CONSERVATION COUNCIL

BUSHFIRE CONFERENCE 2015

Stuart Midgley AFSM | Assistant Commissioner

2014/15 Fire Season

› Forecast was for above normal bush fire potential

› Season began with early operational activity in the Clarence

Valley and Lower North Coast

› Further significant activity followed in the Blue Mountains

› Widespread rain resulted in more favourable conditions and

reduced the risk

› There was late activity in the north west (Pilliga)

› Despite a relatively benign season, there were still 11,382

bush, grass, forest fires, as well as 10,885 other incidents

› Provided interstate firefighting assistance to VIC, SA, WA,

Canada and cyclone affected Elcho Island (NT) as well as

recent storm events within NSW

2015-16 Outlook

› BoM has advised that El Nino thresholds have been

reached

› Outlook is for drier than average and warmer than

average conditions during late winter/spring

› Recent rain and storms have saturated fuel and

hindered hazard reduction activities

› The RFS will conduct dryness and fuel load

assessments in the lead-up to the upcoming season

› The NSW RFS will be working closely with the BoM

over the coming months

Breaking down boundaries: Collaboration

in Restoration

› NSW RFS Objectives

› Prevention, mitigation and suppression

› Coordination of firefighting and fire prevention

› Protection of people, assets and environment

› Fire for risk reduction and fire for restoration are not distinct

› Hazard reduction and risk mitigation processes can support or

enhance biodiversity

› Collaboration to achieve best possible outcome for healthy

landscapes

› It is better to have low intensity hazard reduction activity then

bushfire

Hotspots Fire Project

Hotspots – Bowen Mountain 2015

› Bowen Mountain workshop focused on the role of

fire in weed management, especially lantana

› Collaboration between land owners, land

managers and subject experts resulted in win/win

for both fire and environmental management

› Integration of responsible land management and

HR

› Increased landscape productivity

Aboriginal Communities and the RFS: Perfect Partners

Aboriginal Communities: Cultural burning

› Perfect Partners

› Bushfire Resilience for Aboriginal Communities (BRAC)

› Joint program with Fire and Rescue NSW, Aboriginal

Groups and BFMCs

› Encourages participation in BFMCs

Garby Country Project

› Brings key partners together

› Integrated and culturally appropriate program

› Further research on cultural burning and development

of relationships

Helping an Aussie icon

Bermagui Koala Management

› Listed as Vulnerable: fire is a key threat

› Collaborative research project to manage risk to koalas

and fire risk to the community

› Community volunteers establish location of

populations (scat identification)

› Land managers and landowners plan fire

management strategies based on data

› Restoration of species habitat and engagement of

landowners

Bush Fire Environmental Assessment

Code Review › Streamlined assessment process

› 2013 / 14 saw 2,631 HRCs issued

› Code is currently under review

› Multi-agency reference group

› Key changes

› APZ distances

› Fire trail assessment

› Soil erosion risk

› Threatened species

› Anticipate draft Code available Sept 2015