Environment groups supportive of final bushfire report

Media release
The Wilderness Society Victoria Inc
31 July 2010

Environment groups supportive of final bushfire report

Environment groups have welcomed the final report of the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission saying they understand why the Commission has recommended a statewide target of 5% for fuel reduction burning in order to achieve the number one goal of protecting human lives.

“We are willing to work with the Government, land managers and communities to ensure that where increased burning is necessary, it is done in a way that is scientifically based, targeted and effective, and minimises the impacts on nature and wildlife,” said The Wilderness Society’s Victorian Campaigns Manager Gavan McFadzean.  

“In recommending this target, we welcome the emphasis the Royal Commission has placed on the urgent need to gather further data, undertake greater research and monitoring and establish a commonwealth centre for bushfire research,” said Philip Ingamells, spokesman for the Victorian National Parks Association.

“These measures will help ensure that future fuel reduction management is scientifically based and the state government, its agencies and the community are well informed about its impacts,” he said.

“The Commission has recognised we have an enormous amount of work to do to understand the behavior and impact of fire in Victoria’s diverse landscapes so that we can get the fuel reduction program right for people, property and wildlife,” said Mr McFadzean.

“There is a lot of work still to be done, but we are cautiously optimistic that Victoria can work through the many detailed issues and come to solutions that will help to protect people and nature,” he said.

“A five percent burning target will have negative impacts on native plants and animals. A lot of thought and effort will be needed from our land managers to make sure we minimise those impacts,” said Mr Ingamells.

“It should be noted that the expert panel that advised the Commission on fuel management issues could only confidently support a fuel reduction target of 5% for foothill forests, rather than all public land,” he said.

“There are over 300 different habitat types in Victoria, and they all require fire at different times and different frequencies, both to minimise fuel loads and maintain biodiversity,” he added.

The Commission has also recommended the careful development of improved planning prescriptions, and improved guidelines for roadside clearing.

“Importantly, the Commission has accepted the evidence from CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology that the risk of firestorms will grow as a result of climate change. This adds even more weight to the urgent need to cut pollution and protect our forests as water catchments and carbon stores,” said Lindsay Hesketh.


Please note: this media release is an initial response based on the summary only of the Commission’s final report. The Victorian National Parks Association and The Wilderness Society will be making a more complete response to the full report in coming days, and will participate in the State Government’s consultation process over the next few weeks.