Posts Tagged ‘Bush Fire Coordinating Committee’

Rural Fire Service strategy misguided

Friday, March 30th, 2012
This article was initially written by this editor and published in the Blue Mountains Gazette newspaper on 20051005 as a letter to the editor, entitled ‘RFS strategy misguided‘.
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19th Century heritage-listed ‘Six Foot Track’
..bulldozed by the Rural Fire Service in July 2005, widened into a convenient Fire Trail for its fire truck crews.

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It has been revealed that the June bulldozing or grading of the Six Foot Track near Megalong Creek (Blue Mountains, New South Wales) was a mere drop in the Rural Fire Service (RFS) Bushfire Mitigation Programme.

Across the Blue Mountains, some twenty natural reserves including the Six Foot Track were targeted under the RFS 2004-05 Fire Trail Strategy:

  • Edith Falls
  • McMahons Point
  • Back Creek
  • Cripple Creek
  • Plus some 95 hectares inside the Blue Mountains National Park.

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Read: [>RFS Fire Trail Policy]

Read: [>RFS Fire Trail Classification Guidelines]

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According to the Australian Government’s (then) Department of Transport and Regional Services (DOTARS) website, some $151,195 was granted to the RFS in the Blue Mountains alone, for it to bulldoze and burn 144 hectares of native bushland under the euphemism of “addressing bushfire mitigation risk priorities”  (Ed: Read ‘bush arson

The Six Foot Track Conservation and Management Plan 1997, Vol II’ lists numerous vulnerable species of fauna recorded near Megalong Creek – the Glossy Black-Cockatoo (Clyptorhynchus lathami), Giant Burrowing Frog (Heleioporus australiacus), Spotted-tailed Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus).

Glossy Black-Cockatoo
[Source: Dubbo Field Naturalist & Conservation Society
http://www.speednet.com.au/~abarca/black-cockatoo.htm]

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Giant Burrowing Frog
[Source:  Frogs.org.au, ^http://frogs.org.au/community/viewtopic.php?t=4876&sid=0dc45ef08e12cd5e1d27524bca2269f9]

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Spotted-tailed Quoll
(Dasyurus maculatus)
Blue Mountains top order predator, competing with the Dingo

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The RFS contractors wouldn’t have had a clue if they were within 100 metres or 1 metre of rare, vulnerable or threatened species.

The RFS is not exempt from destroying important ecological habitat; rather it is required to have regard to the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD).

Read: >RFS Policy 2-03 Ecologically Sustainable Development

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The ‘Rationale‘ of this RFS ESD policy states at Clause 1.2:

‘The Bush Fire Coordinating Committee, under the Rural Fires Act 1997 Sec 3 (d), is required to have regard to ESD as outlined in the Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991, which sets out the following principles:

a)   The precautionary principle namely, that if there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation. In the application of the precautionary principle, public and private decisions should be guided by:

i.   careful evaluation to avoid, wherever practicable, serious or irreversible damage to the environment, and
ii.   an assessment of the risk-weighted consequences of various options.

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b)   Inter-generational equity namely, that the present generation should ensure that the health, diversity and productivity of the environment are maintained or enhanced for the benefit of future generations

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c)   Conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity should be a fundamental consideration in all decisions.

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d)   Recognising the economic values that the natural environment provides. The natural environment has values that are often hard to quantify but provide a benefit to the entire community. By recognising that the natural environment does have significant economic and social values we can improve decision making for the present and future generations.’

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Yet the RFS policy on hazard reduction is woefully loose in the ‘Bushfire Co-ordinating Committee Policy 2 /03 on ESD‘ – which (on paper) advocates protecting environmental values and ensuring that ESD commitments are adopted and adhered to by contractors.

Experience now confirms this policy is nothing more than ‘greenwashing’.  The RFS wouldn’t know what environmental values were if they drove their fire truck into a Blkue Mountains upland swamp.  There is not one ecologist among them.

While the critical value of dedicated RFS volunteer fire-fighters fighting fires is without question, what deserves questioning is the unsustainable response of the RFS ‘old guard to fire trails and hazard reduction with token regard for sensitive habitat.  Repeated bushfire research confirms that bushfires are mostly now caused by:

  1. Bush arson (hazard reduction included, escaped or otherwise)
  2. More residential communities encroaching upon bushland.

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Under the ‘Blue Mountains Bushfire Management Committee Bushfire Risk Management Plan’ (Ed: their bureaucratic name), key objectives are patently ignored:

  • ‘Ensure that public and private land owners and occupiers understand their bushfire management responsibilities’
  • ‘Ensure that the community is well informed about bushfire protection measures and prepared for bushfire events through Community Fireguard programs’
  • ‘Manage bushfires for the protection and conservation of the natural, cultural, scenic and recreational features , including tourism values, of the area’.

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Instead, the Rural Fire Service is content to look busy by burning and bulldozing native bushland.  The RFS actively demonises native vegetation as a ‘fuel hazard‘, in the much the same way that ignorant colonists of the 18th and 19th centuries demonised Australia’s unique wildlife as ‘vermin‘ and ‘game‘.

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Further Reading:

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[1]   Previous article on The Habitat Advocate:  ‘RFS Bulldozes Six Foot Track‘  (published 20101220):  [>Read Article]

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[2]  Tip of the Bush-Arson Iceberg

What these government funded and State-sanctioned bush-arsonists get up to, deliberately setting fire to wildlife habitat, is an ecological disgrace.

The following list is from just 2005 of the vast areas of native vegetation deliberately burnt across New South Wales in just this one year.  [Source: DOTARS].

Not surprisingly, this State-sanctioned bush-arson information is no longer published by government each year for obvious clandestine reasons, as the bush-arson continues out of the public eye.

The hazard reduction cult is similarly perpetuated across other Australian states – Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, West Australia as well as Northern Territory and the ACT.   No wonder Australia’s record of wildlife extinctions tragically leads the world!  There is little precious rich wildlife habitat left.

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National Park and Wildlife Service  (NSW) Bush Arson:

(Note: ‘NR’ = Nature Reserve, ‘NP’ = National Park, ‘SCA’ = State Conservation Area… as if these bastards care)

Reserve / Activity Name Treatment Area (km2)
Baalingen NR 5
Baalingen NR 6
Bald Rock NP 7
Banyabba NR 0.5
BANYABBA NR 3
BANYABBA NR 24
BANYABBA NR 8
Barakee NP 6
Barool NP 20
Barool NP 6
Barool NP 5
Barool NP 4
Barool NP 2
Barool NP 5
Barrington Tops NP 2.5
Barrington Tops NP 2
Barrington Tops NP 6
Barrington Tops NP 18
Barrington Tops NP 6
Barrington Tops NP 16
Barrington Tops NP 11
Barrington Tops NP 1
Barrington Tops NP 4
Barrington Tops NP 2
Barrington Tops NP 1
Barrington Tops NP 3
Basket Swamp NP 1
Basket Swamp NP 12
Basket Swamp NP 2
Basket Swamp NP 4
Bellinger River NP 1
Ben Boyd NP 0.8
Ben Boyd NP 3
Ben Boyd NP 0.9
Ben Boyd NP 0.9
Ben Boyd NP 5
Ben Boyd NP 13
Ben Boyd NP 5
Ben Boyd NP 0.4
Ben Boyd NP 1
Ben Boyd NP 2
Ben Boyd NP 3
Ben Boyd NP 5
Ben Boyd NP 3.6
Ben Boyd NP 1.9
Ben Boyd NP 1.6
Ben Halls Gap NP 3
Bindarri NP 2
Black Bulga SCA 8
Black Bulga SCA 12
Black Bulga SCA 21
Blue Mountains NP 42
Blue Mountains NP 8.3
Blue Mountains NP 23
Blue Mountains NP 10
Blue Mountains NP 12
Bogendyra NR
Bolivia NR 1
BOLLONOLLA NR 2
Bondi Gulf NR 8
Bondi Gulf NR 6
Bondi Gulf NR 10
BONGIL BONGIL NP 0.3
BONGIL BONGIL NP 0.5
Boonoo Boonoo NP 9
Boonoo Boonoo NP 10
Booti Booti NP 0.5
Booti Booti NP 0.3
Booti Booti NP 3
Booti Booti NP 0.3
Booti Booti NP 3
Border Range NP 6
Border Ranges NP 4
Border Ranges NP 3
Border Ranges NP 4
Border Ranges NP 2.8
Bouddi NP 0.5
Bouddi NP 0.3
Bouddi NP 0.9
Bouddi NP 0.9
Bouddi NP 0.5
Bouddi NP 1.1
Bouddi NP 0.5
Bouddi NP 1.9
Bouddi NP 1.1
Bouddi NP 0.6
Bouddi NP 2.3
Bournda NR 10
Bournda NR 5
Bournda NR 0.5
Bournda NR 0.5
Bournda NR 0.5
Brindabella NP 20
Brisbane Water NP 4.4
Brisbane Water NP 2.4
Brisbane Water NP 3.7
Brisbane Water NP 3.6
Brisbane Water NP 0.3
Brisbane Water NP 3.1
Brisbane Water NP 0.6
Budawang NP 4.8
Budderoo NP 10
Bugong NP 3.1
Bundgalung NP 2
BUNDJALUNG NP 7
BUNDJALUNG NP 4.5
BUNDJALUNG NP 8
BUNDJALUNG NP 1.5
BUNDJALUNG NP 0.5
BUNDJALUNG NP 6
BUNDJALUNG NP 3
BUNDJALUNG NP 3
BUNDJALUNG NP 4
BUNDJALUNG NP 2
BUNDJALUNG NP 1
Bundundah Reserve 1.94
Bundundah Reserve/Morton NP 4.7
Bungawalbyn NP 2
Bungawalbyn NP 2.25
Bungawalbyn NP 4
Bungawalbyn NP 5
Bungawalbyn NP 3
Bungawalbyn NP 4.5
Bungawalbyn NP 6.5
Bungawalbyn NP 5
Bungawalbyn NP 1.65
Bungawalbyn NP 1.5
Burnt Down Scrub NR 2
Burnt School NR 2
Burrinjuck NR 8
Burrinjuck NR 15
Burrinjuck NR 3
Butterleaf NP
Butterleaf NP 3
Butterleaf NP 3.2
Butterleaf NP 1.2
Butterleaf NP 1.6
Butterleaf NP 1.2
Butterleaf NP 2
Butterleaf NP 1.8
Butterleaf NP 1.4
Butterleaf NP 0.5
Butterleaf NP 2.3
Butterleaf NP 3.3
Butterleaf NP 3.9
Butterleaf NP 5.3
Butterleaf NP 0.4
Butterleaf NP 0.5
Butterleaf NP 1.5
Butterleaf NP 2.9
Butterleaf NP 5.3
Butterleaf NP 4
Butterleaf NP 3.3
Butterleaf NP 3.6
Butterleaf NP 1.5
Butterleaf NP 8.8
Butterleaf NP 0.5
Capoompeta NP 10
Cataract NP
Cataract NP 1.5
Cataract NP 2
Cataract NP 2
Cataract NP 1.5
Cataract NP 2
Cataract NP 1
Clayton Chase 5
Clayton Chase 10
Clayton Chase 3.5
Clayton Chase 4
Clayton Chase 3
Clayton Chase 3
Clayton Chase  4
Conjola NP 5.7
Conjola NP 1.8
Conjola NP 8.3
Conjola NP 4.8
Conjola NP 2.9
Conjola NP 4.5
Conjola NP 6.5
Coolah Tops NR 28
Coolah Tops NR 1
Coolah Tops NR 6
Copeland Tops SCA 3
Copeland Tops SCA 3.5
Corramy SCA 0.7
Cottan-bimbang NP 6
Cottan-bimbang NP 16
Cottan-bimbang NP 15
Culgoa NP 30
Curramore NP
Curramore NP 8
Curramore NP 8.9
Curramore NP 11
Curramore NP 5.5
Dapper NR 10
Deua NP 15.2
Deua NP 1.4
Deua NP 1
Deua NP 4
Deua NP 21.5
Deua NP 2.1
Deua NP 1.4
Deua NP 3.3
Deua NP 8.5
Deua NP 20.8
Deua NP 5.3
Deua NP 6.6
Deua NP 28.2
Deua NP 5.65
DUNGGIR NP 4
Eurobodalla NP 0.8
Eurobodalla NP 2.5
Eurobodalla NP 0.8
Eurobodalla NP 2.4
Eurobodalla NP 2
Flaggy creek  NR 3
Flaggy creek  NR 1.8
GANAY NR 2
GANAY NR 2
Garawarra SCA
Garby NR 2
Gardens of Stone NP 18
Gibraltar NP 14
Goobang NP 5
Goobang NP 25
GUMBAYNGIR SCA 12
GUMBAYNGIR SCA 7
GUMBAYNGIR SCA 6
Ironbark NR 13.5
Jerrawangala NP 6.83
Jervis Bay NP 2.37
Jervis Bay NP 5.42
Jervis Bay NP 0.56
Jervis Bay NP 0.82
Jervis Bay NP 1.45
Jervis Bay NP 1.72
Jervis Bay NP 0.21
Jervis Bay NP 0.32
Jervis Bay NP 0.7
Jervis Bay NP 0.4
Jervis Bay NP 0.35
Jervis Bay NP 0.35
Jervis Bay NP 0.48
Jervis Bay NP 1.03
Jervis Bay NP 0.65
Jervis Bay NP 1.91
Jervis Bay NP 0.34
Jervis Bay NP 0.95
Jervis Bay NP 1.46
Jervis Bay NP 0.71
Jervis Bay NP 1.07
Jingellic NR 20
Karuah NR 10
Karuah NR 28
Karuah NR 10
Karuah NR 12
Karuah NR 1
Kings Plains NP 7
Kings Plains NP 0
Kings Plains NP 4
Koreelah NP 6
Kosciuszko NP 30
Kosciuszko NP 9.5
Kosciuszko NP 22
Kosciuszko NP 22
Kosciuszko NP 33
Kosciuszko NP 33
Kosciuszko NP 33
Kosciuszko NP 12
Kosciuszko NP 12
Kosciuszko NP 17
Kosciuszko NP 5
Kosciuszko NP 28
Kosciuszko NP 9
Kosciuszko NP 6
Kosciuszko NP 6
Kosciuszko NP 26
Kosciuszko NP 8.9
Kosciuszko NP 15
Kosciuszko NP 15
Kosciuszko NP 2.5
Kosciuszko NP 8.9
Kosciuszko NP 10
Kosciuszko NP 11
Kosciuszko NP 4.8
Kosciuszko NP 18
Kosciuszko NP 19
Kosciuszko NP 7.2
Kosciuszko NP 7.2
Kosciuszko NP 13
Kosciuszko NP 18
Kosciuszko NP 33
Kosciuszko NP 33
Kosciuszko NP 18
Kosciuszko NP 18
Kosciuszko NP 15
Kosciuszko NP 12
Kwiambal NP 7
Kwiambal NP 3
Kwiambal NP 2
Kwiambal NP 2.25
Lake Macquarie SCA 0.3
Lake Macquarie SCA 0.4
Lake Macquarie SCA 0.4
Lake Macquarie SCA 0.4
Ledknapper NR 15
Linton NR 12.5
Meroo NP 2.4
Meroo NP 0.9
Meroo NP 0.6
Meroo NP 3.3
Meroo NP 3.9
Meroo NP 3.5
Meroo NP 0.5
Morton NP 5.9
Morton NP 8.3
Morton NP 3.8
Morton NP 6
Morton NP 13
Morton NP 0.4
Morton NP 4.5
Morton NP 5
Morton NP 2.7
Morton NP 0.7
Morton NP 2.1
Morton NP 1
Morton NP 6
Mt Canobolas SCA 1
Mt Clunnie NP 6.5
Mt Dowling NR 2
MT NEVILLE NR 11
MT NEVILLE NR 1
MT NEVILLE NR 1.5
MT NEVILLE NR 11
MT NEVILLE NR 1.5
MT NEVILLE NR 3.5
MT PIKAPENE NP 2
MT PIKAPENE NP 4
MT PIKAPENE NP 2.5
MT PIKAPENE NP 1.5
MT PIKAPENE NP 1.5
MT PIKAPENE NP 4
MT PIKAPENE NP 7
MT PIKAPENE NP 2
MT PIKAPENE NP 2.5
MT PIKAPENE NP 6
MT PIKAPENE NP 3
MT PIKAPENE NP 0.5
MT PIKAPENE NP 0.5
MT PIKAPENE NP 2.5
MT PIKAPENE NP 2
MT PIKAPENE NP 1
MT PIKAPENE NP 2.5
MT PIKAPENE NP 6
MT PIKAPENE NP 2
MT PIKAPENE NP 1
MT PIKAPENE NP 2.5
MT PIKAPENE NP 2
MT PIKAPENE NP 1.5
Mummell Gulf NP 3
Mummell Gulf NP 7
Mummell Gulf NP 5
Munmorah SRA 0.7
Munmorah SRA 0.8
Munmorah SRA 0.45
Munmorah SRA 1
Munmorah SRA 2
Munmorah SRA 0.9
Munmorah SRA 1.6
Muogamarra NR 1
Murramarang NP 0.9
Murramarang NP 8
Murramarang NP 1
Murramarang NP 5.1
Murramarang NP 8.2
Murramarang NP 3.1
Murramarang NP 6.8
Murramarang NP 16
Murramarang NP 4.3
Murramarang NP 4
Myall Lakes NP 5
Myall Lakes NP 5
Myall Lakes NP 1.5
Myall Lakes NP 2
Myall Lakes NP 1
Myall Lakes NP 5
NGAMBAA NR 2
NGAMBAA NR 5
Nombinnie NR 10
Nymboida NP 6
Nymboida NP 12
Nymboida NP 3
Nymboida NP 4
Nymboida NP 1
Nymboida NP 4
Nymboida NP 4
Nymboida NP 3.2
Nymboida NP 4.5
Nymboida NP 2
Nymboida NP 4
Nymboida NP 2.8
Nymboida NP 4.2
Nymboida NP 4.2
Nymboida NP 4.2
Nymboida NP 4.2
Nymboida NP 4.2
Nymboida NP 4.2
Nymboida NP 4.2
Nymboida NP 4.2
Nymboida NP 7
Nymboida NP 6
Oxley Wild Rivers NP 10.7
Oxley Wild Rivers NP 19.1
Oxley Wild Rivers NP 13.4
Oxley Wild Rivers NP 18
Oxley Wild Rivers NP 18
Oxley Wild Rivers NP 15
Oxley Wild Rivers NP 33
Oxley Wild Rivers NP 33
Oxley Wild Rivers NP 5
Oxley Wild Rivers NP 5
Oxley Wild Rivers NP 4
Oxley Wild Rivers NP 3
Oxley Wild Rivers NP 7
Parma Creek NR 0.21
Parma Creek NR 0.07
Parma Creek NR 0.3
Parma Creek NR 0.01
Parma Creek NR 0.29
Parma Creek NR 5
Paroo Darling NP 60
Policemans Cap 10
Razorback NR 17
Richmond Range NP 3.9
Richmond Range NP 6.5
Richmond Range NP 3.8
Richmond Range NP 4.5
Richmond Range NP 5.5
Richmond Range NP 9
Royal NP 1
Seven Mile Beach NP 1.09
Seven Mile Beach NP 1.79
Seven Mile Beach NP 2.24
Seven Mile Beach NP 0.74
Seven Mile Beach NP 2.03
Severn River NR 6
Single NP 21
South East Forest NP 5
South East Forest NP 1.2
South East Forest NP 1.2
South East Forest NP 2.6
South East Forest NP 3
South East Forest NP 10.9
South East Forest NP 1.3
South East Forest NP 1
South East Forest NP 1.2
South East Forest NP 2.8
South East Forest NP 2
South East Forest NP 1.2
South East Forest NP 2
South East Forest NP 5.1
South East Forest NP 3.5
South East Forest NP 0.5
South East Forest NP 6
South East Forest NP 3
South East Forest NP 1
South East Forest NP 5.5
South East Forest NP 0.8
Stoney Batter NR 6
Tapitallee NR 0.52
Tapitallee NR 0.33
Tapitallee NR 0.36
Tapitallee NR 0.32
Tarlo River NP 3.8
Tarlo River NP 2.1
Tarlo River NP 2.9
Tarlo River NP 5.9
Tarlo River NP 6.5
Tarlo River NP 2.7
Tarlo River NP 2.1
Tarlo River NP 6
Tollingo NR 150
Tomaree NP 1.8
Tooloom NP 3
Toonumbar NP 31.9
Toonumbar NP 8.5
Toonumbar NP 17
Toonumbar NP 21.5
Triplarina NR 0.71
Triplarina NR 0.32
Triplarina NR 0.66
Triplarina NR 0.75
Triplarina NR 1.34
Triplarina NR 0.31
Triplarina NR 1.24
Triplarina NR 1.35
Ungazetted (Kalyarr NP) 48
Ungazetted (Kalyarr NP) 26
Unknown 7
Wa Hou NR 10
Wa Hou NR 1
Wa Hou NR 7
Wa Hou NR 1
Wa Hou NR 11
Wa Hou NR 1
Wa Hou NR 7
Wa Hou NR 1
Wa Hou NR 1
Wa Hou NR 1
Wa Hou NR 1
Wallaroo NR 3
Wallaroo NR 1.5
Wallaroo NR 8
Wallaroo NR 5
Wallaroo NR 11
Wallaroo NR 7
Wallaroo NR 7
Wallaroo NR 16
Wallaroo NR 6
Wallingat NP 2
Wallingat NP 1.3
Wallingat NP 3.6
Wallingat NP 3.3
Washpool Np 18
Washpool NP 5.3
Washpool NP 5.6
Washpool NP 7.1
Washpool NP 6.4
Washpool NP 1.6
Washpool NP 7
Washpool NP 2.8
Watson’s Creek NR 5
Wereboldera SCA 9
Woggoon NR 144
Wollemi NP 21
Wollemi NP 12
Wollemi NP 10
Wollemi NP 30
Wollemi NP 7
Wollemi NP 11
Wollemi NP 7
Wollemi NP 16
Wollemi NP 2
Wollemi NP 8
Wollemi NP 5
Woodford Island NR 1.5
Woodford Island NR 2
Woodford Island NR 3
Woodford Island NR 3
Woollamia NR 1.51
Woollamia NR 0.77
Woollamia NR 1.95
Woollamia NR 1.88
Woollamia NR 0.74
Woomargama NP 15
Yabbra NP 8
Yabbra NP 45
Yango NP 0.45
Yanununbeyan NP 11
YARRIABINNI NP 2
YARRIABINNI NP 3
YARRIABINNI NP 5
YARRIABINNI NP 6
YARRIABINNI NP 4
Yuraygir NP 4
Yuraygir NP 3.5
Yuraygir NP 1
Yuraygir NP 1
YURAYGIR NP 0.03
Yuraygir NP 1
Yuraygir NP 3.5
Yuraygir NP 1.5
Yuraygir NP 1.5
Yuraygir NP 1.5
Yuraygir NP 1.5
Yuraygir NP 1.5
Yuraygir NP 1.5
Yuraygir NP 1.5
Yuraygir NP 1.5
Yuraygir NP 1.5
Yuraygir NP 1.5
Yuraygir NP 28
Yuraygir NP 10
Yuraygir NP 12
Yuraygir NP 1
Yuraygir NP 1
Yuraygir NP 4
Yuraygir NP 3.5
    3,785.10 Ha

i.e.  An area 6km x 6km

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NSW Local Government Areas (LGAs)

Bush Fire Management Committee / LGA Reserve / Activity Name Treatment Area (km2)
Blue Mountains Northern Strategic Line -Primary 8
Blue Mountains De Faurs Trail – Mt Wilson -Primary 2.8
Blue Mountains Mitchell’s Creek Fire Trail – Primary 3.5
Blue Mountains Nellies Glen Fire Trail 2.8
Blue Mountains Back Creek Fire Trail – Primary 3.2
Blue Mountains Mt Piddington Trail – Hornes Point N/A
Bombala Gibraltar Ridge Fire Trail (2) (PT) 20
Bombala Mt Rixs Fire Trail (PT) 6
Bombala Roaring Camp Fire Trail (PT) 12
Cooma-Monaro Brest Fire Trail (2) (PT) 15
Cooma-Monaro Calabash Fire Trail (2) (PT) 22
Cooma-Monaro Murrumbucca Fire Trail (2) (ST) 15
Cooma-Monaro Bridge Fire Trail (2) (PT) 6
Cooma-Monaro Log In Hole Fire Trail (2) (PT) 5
Gloucester Upper Avon Fire Trail 11
Greater Argyle Mountain Ash Fire Trail 10
Greater Argyle Mootwingee Fire Trail 6
Greater Hume Murphy’s Fire Trail 0.2
Greater Hume Mandaring Fire Trail 1
Greater Queanbeyan City Queanbeyan River Fire Trail 5.5
Greater Queanbeyan City Gourock Fire Trail 5.8
Hawkesbury District Jacks Trail 1.6
Hawkesbury District Duffys Trail (2) ?tenure 3
Mallee Various Fire Trails N/A
Mallee No 21 Fire Trail 20
Namoi/Gwydir Warialda State Forest 6.5
Namoi/Gwydir Zaba-Kaiwarra-Kiora Fire Trail (check) 10
Namoi/Gwydr Blue Nobby Fire Trail (check) 8
Namoi/Gwydr Araluen Fire Trail (check) 6
Snowy River Snowy Plain Fire Trail (2) (PT) 18
Snowy River Crackenback Fire Trail (PT) 10
Snowy River Devils Hole Fire Trail (PT) 18
Snowy River Golden Age Fire Trail (2) (PT) 8
Sutherland Sabugal Pass Fire Trail N/A
SW Mallee Various Fire Trails N/A
SW Mallee Oberwells Fire Trail 28
SW Mallee Mandleman Fire Trail 40
Upper Lachlan Johnsons Creek Fire Trail 15
Warringah/Pittwater Lovett Bay Trail (2) 2.5
Warringah/Pittwater Elvina Bay Trail (2) 1.5
Yass Valley Nelanglo Fire Trail 21
Yass Valley Hayshed Fire Trail 1 7
Yass Valley Hayshed Fire Trail 2 7
       391.90 km2

i.e.   An area 20km x 20km

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Forests NSW (government’s industrial logger of NSW remnant forests).

(Forests NSW did not publish the area burnt, only the cost. As a rule of thumb use $3000/square km)

Bush Fire Management Committee Reserve / Activity Name NSW
Allocation
Clarence Zone Dalmorton SF $30,000
Future Forests Swan $20,050
Future Forests Tindall $10,680
Future Forests Tooloom $10,425
Future Forests Mazzer $7,341
Future Forests Kungurrabah $4,435
Future Forests Morpeth Park $3,773
Future Forests Loughnan $3,155
Future Forests Inglebar $3,000
Future Forests Lattimore $2,604
Future Forests Byrne $1,755
Future Forests Ziull 4 $1,677
Future Forests Lejag $1,670
Future Forests Ziull 2 $1,600
Future Forests Bates $1,563
Future Forests Ziull 3 $1,454
Future Forests Envirocom $1,410
Future Forests Morgan $1,361
Future Forests McNamara $1,279
Future Forests Neaves $967
Future Forests Zuill $872
Future Forests Boyle $807
Future Forests Fitzpatrick $791
Future Forests Morrow $785
Future Forests Morrow $785
Future Forests Morrow $785
Future Forests Wallwork $665
Future Forests Smith $665
Future Forests Wilson $622
Future Forests Jarramarumba $600
Future Forests Hession $597
Future Forests Edwards $563
Future Forests Maunder $558
Future Forests Kuantan $515
Future Forests Billins $484
Future Forests Cox $475
Future Forests Paterson $461
Future Forests Gladys $415
Future Forests O’Keefe $371
Future Forests Woodcock $369
Future Forests Pratten $346
Future Forests Truswell $323
Future Forests Divine $323
Future Forests Hastings $323
Future Forests White $300
Future Forests Miller $300
Future Forests Koop $300
Future Forests Lacy $277
Future Forests Nosrac $277
Future Forests Tully $277
Future Forests Baker $277
Future Forests Yaganegi $277
Future Forests Siezowski $254
Future Forests Zuill $254
Future Forests Atcheson $254
Future Forests Dissevelt $254
Future Forests Hoy $254
Future Forests Woods $254
Future Forests Dawson $254
Future Forests Hagan $254
Future Forests Skelly $231
Future Forests Robards $231
Future Forests Maunder $231
Future Forests Day $231
Future Forests O’Connell $231
Future Forests Kompara $231
Future Forests Carmen $231
Future Forests Maurer $231
Future Forests Cunin $208
Future Forests GCC $208
Future Forests White $208
Future Forests Hayer $208
Future Forests Southgate $208
Future Forests Peck $208
Greater Taree Kiwarrak SF $40,000
Hastings Cowarra SF $30,000
Hastings Caincross SF $4,000
Hume Clearing fire trails $100,000
Hume New FT $6,000
Hunter Pokolbin SF $13,600
Hunter Myall River SF $12,800
Hunter Myall River SF $12,800
Hunter Heaton SF $12,400
Hunter Bulahdelah SF $6,100
Hunter Watagan SF $3,200
Hunter Awaba SF $3,200
Hunter Myall River SF $3,100
Macquarie Warrengong $16,250
Macquarie Vulcan & Gurnang $11,519
Macquarie Kinross SF $8,800
Macquarie Mount David $6,101
Macquarie Newnes SF $5,199
Macquarie Printing 25 fire atlas’ $2,048
Macquarie Black Rock Ridge $447
Mid-Nth Coast – Taree Knorrit SF $36,000
Mid-Nth Coast – Taree Yarratt SF $16,000
Mid-Nth Coast – Wauchope Boonanghi SF $37,000
Mid-Nth Coast – Wauchope Northern Break $9,000
Mid-Nth Coast – Wauchope Caincross SF $3,000
Mid-Nth Coast – Wauchope Western Break $2,000
Monaro Clearing fire trails $114,685
North East Thumb Creek SF $46,000
North East Candole SF $29,535
North East Various State Forests $20,000
North East Mt Belmore SF $12,115
North East Candole SF $8,900
North East Lower Bucca SF $5,500
North East All North Region $3,300
North East Wild Cattle SF $3,000
North East Orara East SF $1,900
Northern -Casino Barragunda $11,522
Northern -Casino Yaraldi 2003 $8,847
Northern -Casino Yaraldi 2004 $3,207
Richmond Valley Bates $20,000
Richmond Valley Whiporie SF $13,154
Richmond Valley Swanson $12,000
Richmond Valley McNamara $10,180
Richmond Valley Whiporie SF $9,582
Southern  Pollwombra FT $6,360
Southern-Eden Various – whole district $112,019
Tamworth Nundle SF $40,000
Walcha Nowendoc SF $30,000
Walcha Styx River SF $20,000
$1,073,482

i.e.  Approximately an area 20km x 20km

 .

NSW Department of Lands    (what native vegetation’s left).

Bush Fire Management Committee Reserve / Activity Name Treatment Area Ha / Other Treatment Area (km2)
Baulkham Hills Porters Rd / Cranstons Rd 5
Baulkham Hills Porters Rd / Cranstons Rd (2) 4
Baulkham Hills Pauls Road Trail 5
Baulkham Hills Mount View Trail 1
Baulkham Hills Idlewild 2
Baulkham Hills Maroota Tracks Trail 7
Baulkham Hills Yoothamurra Trail 1
Baulkham Hills Kellys Arm Trail 3
Baulkham Hills Dargle Ridge Trail 5
Baulkham Hills Dargle Trail 3
Baulkham Hills Days Road Trail 3
Baulkham Hills Dickinsons Trail 6
Baulkham Hills Fingerboard Trail 3
Baulkham Hills Floyds Road Trail 8
Baulkham Hills Neichs Road Trail 4
Bega Eden Strategic Fire Trail 3
Bega Illawambera Fire Trail 1
Bega Merimbula/Turu Beach Strategic Protection 2
Bega Yankees Gap  2
Bega Millingandi Special Protection (Trail) 1
Bega Wallagoot Strategic Protection (Trail) 1.2
Bega South Eden Strategic Protection (Trail) 1
Bega Merimbula/Pambula Strategic Protection (APZ) 1
Bega Pacific St Tathra 0.5
Bland Bland Villages (FTM)  2
Bland Water Tower Reserve FTM 3
Blue Mountains Cripple Creek Fire Trail Stage 2 5
Blue Mountains Cripple Creek Fire Trail Complex 5
Blue Mountains Caves Creek Trail 0.4
Blue Mountains Edith Falls Trail 2
Blue Mountains Boronia Rd – Albert Rd Trails 1
Blue Mountains Perimeter Trail – North Hazelbrook 1.5
Blue Mountains McMahons Point Trail – Kings Tableland 7
Blue Mountains Back Creek Fire Trail 3.2
Blue Mountains Mitchell’s Creek Fire Trail 3.5
Bombala Gibraltar Ridge Fire Trail 11
Bombala Burnt Hut Fire Trail 5
Bombala Merriangah East Fire Trail 12
Bombala Bombala Towns & Villages (Trails) 10
Campbelltown St Helens Park – Wedderburn Rd (Barriers) 0.3
Campbelltown Barrier / Gate
Campbelltown Riverview Rd Fire Trail 0.65
Canobolas Calula Range FTM
Canobolas Spring Glen Estate FTM
Cessnock Neath South West Fire Trail 2
Cessnock Neath South East Fire Trail 1.5
Cessnock Neath North Fire Trail (2) 1
Cessnock Gates – Asset Protection Zones
Cessnock Signs – Asset Protection Zones
Cessnock Signs – Fire Trails
Cessnock Kearsley Fire Trail 0.5
Cessnock Neath – South (Trail) 4
Cessnock Neath – North (Trail) 2
Clarence Valley Bowling Club Fire Trail 1
Clarence Valley Brooms Head Fire Trail 0.2
Clarence Valley Ilarwill Village 0.3
Cooma-Monaro Chakola Fire Trail 21
Cooma-Monaro Good Good Fire Trail 12
Cooma-Monaro Inaloy Fire Trail 19
Cooma-Monaro Cowra Creek Fire Trail 4
Cooma-Monaro David’s Fire Trail 2.1
Cooma-Monaro Clear Hills Fire Trail 5
Cooma-Monaro Mt Dowling Fire Trail 16
Cooma-Monaro Towneys Ridge Fire Trail 6
Cunningham Warialda Periphery 2 20
Cunningham Upper Bingara Fire Trail
Dungog Dungog Fire Trail Signs
Far North Coast Byrangary Fire Trail 1
Far North Coast Main Arm Fire Trail (NC67) 2
Far North Coast Burringbar Fire Trail (NC69) 1
Far North Coast Mill Rd Fire Trail (NC95) 1
Far North Coast Broken Head Fire Trail (NC68) 0.5
Far North Coast New Brighton Fire Trail (NC44) 0.5
Far North Coast Mooball Spur Fire Trail 1
Far North Coast Palmwoods Fire Trail (NC06) 0.5
Gloucester Coneac Trail 6
Gloucester Moores Trail 6
Gloucester Mt Mooney Fire Trail 6
Gosford District Signs – Fire Trails
Great Lakes Ebsworth Fire Trail 1
Great Lakes Tuncurry High Fire Trail 0.6
Great Lakes Monterra Ave Trail – Hawks Nest 0.7
Greater Argyle Browns Rd Komungla 12
Greater Argyle Greater Argyle Fire Trail Maintenance
Greater Argyle Cookbundoon Fire Trail 2
Greater Taree District Tinonee St Road Reserve 0.25
Greater Taree District Beach St SFAZ – Wallabi Point 0.35
Greater Taree District Sth Woodlands Dr – SFAZ 1.3
Greater Taree District Cedar Party Rd – Taree 2
Hawkesbury District Sargents Road (2)  ?tenure 0.75
Hawkesbury District Parallel Trail (2) 2.5
Hawkesbury District Parallel Trail (1) 1.1
Hornsby/Ku-ring-gai Tunks Ridge, Dural 1
Hornsby/Ku-ring-gai Radnor & Cairnes Fire Trail 0.5
Hornsby/Ku-ring-gai Binya Cl, Hornsby Heights 1.5
Shellharbour District Saddleback – Hoddles Trail 3
Shellharbour District Rough Range Trail 1
Lake Macquarie District Kilaben Bay Fire Trail 1.5
Lake Macquarie District Gates – Access Management
Lake Macquarie District Signs – APZ
Lake Macquarie District Signs – Fire Trails
Lithgow Wilsons Glen Trail 6.1
Lithgow Kanimbla Fire Trail No 314 7.8
Lithgow Camels Back Trail No 312 4.5
Lithgow Crown Creek Trail No 206 7
Lithgow Capertee Common Trail No 203 3
Lower Hunter Zone Access Infrastructure – All Districts
Lower North Coast Cabbage Tree Lane Fire Trail, Kempsey 1.5
Lower North Coast Bullocks Quarry Fire Trail 0.66
Lower North Coast Perimeter Protection, Main St, Eungai Creek, Nambucca 0.6
Mid North Coast Urunga Lagoon, Bellingen 4
Mid North Coast Wenonah Head, Bellingen 4
Mudgee Munro’s Fire Trail 24
Mudgee Munro’s Fire Trail 5.25
Penrith Londonderry/Castlereagh 6
Port Stephens Bobs Farm Fire Trails 4
Port Stephens Salamander Way Fire Trail 1.5
Port Stephens Gan Gan Hill West Fire Trail 1.2
Port Stephens Nelson Bay – Gan Gan Hill (Trail) 1.5
Port Stephens Taylors Beach Fire Trail 1
Port Stephens Nelson Bay – Wallawa Rd (SFAZ) 0.7
Port Stephens Taylors Beach East Fire Trail 3.5
Port Stephens Nelson Bay – Wallawa Rd (Gates)
Port Stephens Port Stephens Fire Trail Signs
Port Stephens Corlette – Salamander Way (Trail) 1
Shoalhaven APZ Access Works
Snowy River Southern Boundary Fire Trail 3
Snowy River Somme Valley Fire Trail 5
Sutherland District Forbes Creek North Trail 1.3
Sutherland District Still Creek Complex (Trail) 3.8
Sutherland District Mannikin Trail 1.5
Sutherland District Viburnum Trail 0.8
Sutherland District Mill Creek Complex 2.6
Sutherland District Loftus Creek Complex 1.9
Sutherland District Cranberry Trail 0.8
Sutherland District Turella Trail 0.8
Sutherland District Freemantle Trail 0.4
Sutherland District Illaroo Trail 0.7
Sutherland District Yala East Trail 0.9
Sutherland District Bunyan Fire Trail 1.2
Sutherland District Rosewell Service Trail 0.5
Sutherland District Belarada Service Trail 0.3
Sutherland District Belbowrie Service Trail 0.3
Sutherland District Leawarra Fire Trail 0.9
Sutherland District McKenzie Service Trail 0.7
Sutherland District Walsh Close Trail 0.7
Sutherland District Yala West Trail 0.7
Sutherland District Barnes Cres Service Trail 0.6
Sutherland District Illumba Trail 0.5
Sutherland District Penrose Trail 0.5
Sutherland District Tatler Place Trail 0.5
Sutherland District Torumba Service Trail 0.5
Sutherland District Friendship Trail 0.4
Sutherland District Kippax – Rosewall Trail 0.4
Sutherland District Tallarook Service Trail 0.4
Sutherland District Billa Service Trail 0.3
Sutherland District Chestnut Trail 0.2
Sutherland District Croston Rd Trail 0.3
Sutherland District Kingswood Rd Trail 0.3
Sutherland District Roebourne Trail 0.3
Sutherland District Whimbrel Service Trail 0.3
Sutherland District Shearwater Trail 0.1
Tamworth Moore Creek Dam Reserve 3.5
Tamworth Moore Creek Dam Reserve 1
Tumut Bundarbo Fire Trail (Stage 1) 30
Tumut Yammatree Reserve 2
Tumut Thomas Boyd Track Head 2
Tumut Tumut Bush Common 5
Tumut Batlow Hill 2
Tumut Rimmers Ridge – Adelong
Tumut Bangadang 7
Upper Lachlan Upper Lachlan Fire Trail Maintenance
Upper Lachlan Isabella Fire Trail 10
Wagga Wagga Silvatite Reserve (Trails) 5
Wagga Wagga Wagga Wagga Towns & Villages (Trails) 10
Wagga Wagga Kyeamba Gap 4
Wagga Wagga San Isadore 3
Warringah/Pittwater Sandy Trail 0.1
Warringah/Pittwater Lovett Bay Trail 2.5
Warringah/Pittwater Elvina Bay Trail 1.5
Warringah/Pittwater Aumuna Cooyong Trail 0.2
Wingecarribee P3 Fire Trail 6
Wingecarribee Weir Fire trail 3.8
Wingecarribee Lukes Fire trail 0.1
Wollondilly Bargo Weir Fire Trail 10
Wyong District YMCA North / South Link Fire Trail 2
Wyong District YMCA South / Kanangra Dr Fire Trail 2
Wyong District Lake Munmorah Fire Trails 3.25
Wyong District Hyles St Fire Trail, Chittaway Pt 0.1
Wyong District Big “T” and YMCA Link Fire Trails 1.5
Wyong District Lake Road Fire Trail, Chittaway Point 0.1
Wyong District Big “T” Fire Trail – Crangan Bay 1.1
Wyong District Wyong APZ Signs
Wyong District Lake Road Fire Trail, Tuggerah 1
Wyong District Doyalson North, 219-225 Pacific Hway (Trail) 0.8
Yass Valley Yass Valley Fire Trail Maintenance
               565.16

i.e.  Approximately an area 24km x 24km

. .

Grose Fires 2006 – forum actions ignored

Friday, March 16th, 2012

In November 2006, two separate bushfires that were allowed to burn out of control for a week as well extensive deliberate backburning, ended up causing some 14,070 hectares of the Blue Mountains National Park to be burnt.

This wiped out a significant area of the Grose Valley and burnt through the iconic Blue Gum Forest in the upper Blue Mountains of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (GBMWHA).

In the mind of Rural Fire Service (RFS) and the National Parks and Wildlife Service of New South Wales (NPWS), National Parks and World Heritage do not figure as a natural asset worth protecting from bushfire, but rather as an expendable liability, a ‘fuel’ hazard, when it comes to bushfire fighting.

.

This massive firestorm has since been branded the ‘Grose Valley Fires of 2006‘.

To learn more about the background to this bushfire read article:    >’2006 Grose Valley Fires – any lessons learnt?

Pyrocumulous ‘carbon’ smoke cloud
above the firestorm engulfing the Grose Valley 20061123

.

About a month after the fire, on Tuesday 19th December 2006 there was apparently an ‘Inter-Agency Review‘ which took place at Katoomba behind closed doors by members of bushfire management and operating personnel involved in the fire fighting. Despite requests by this Editor, no minutes or reports of that meeting were ever forthcoming.  The meeting was internal and secret.

Immediate local community outrage called for explanations and accountability from the Rural Fire Service (RFS) (the government agency responsible for rural fire fighting throughout the State of New South Wales) in charge of fighting the bushfires and for a review of bushfire management practices with a view to ensuring that the highly valued  Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and iconic Blue Gum Forest in particular is protected from bushfire in future.  Many members of the local community called for an independent and public review or enquiry.

One local resident wrote in the local Blue Mountains Gazette newspaper:

.

‘Questioning the RFS’

by Dr Jackie Janosi, Katoomba, 20061204

.
‘To start, this is directed at the upper levels of the RFS and not to the wonderful local volunteers – many of whom are loved and respected friends and colleagues.

To stop the loud community Chinese whispers and restore faith with the local community, could someone please respond with factual answers about the recent Grose Valley fire that are not reinterpreted with a political spin.

  1. How many hectares of bush was burnt by the Grose Valley wildfire and how many was burnt by the RFS mitigation efforts?
  2. How many houses and lives were at risk from the wildfire as versus to the RFS fire?
  3. How many millions of dollars were spent on water bombing the RFS fire?
  4. How many litres of precious water were used to put out the RFS fire?
  5. Is it true that soil-holding rainforest was burnt and that the real reason for the Mt Tomah road block was erosion from the RFS removal of this natural fire-break?
  6. Was local advice and expertise sought and followed or simply ignored?
  7. If mistakes were made, what measures will be taken to ensure that this does not happen again?

.

I sincerely hope that if mistakes were made then the upper levels of the RFS can show the humility and good future planning that is now required to restore it’s good reputation. I hope that the RFS can show that it is still a community group that cares for the safety of our Blue Mountains residents, is able to respect and respond to our very special local environment and is able to make sound decisions about valuable resources.’

.

Ed:  Her questions were never answered.  With the RFS rejecting calls for a public or independent review, there was a general sense amongst many in the local community of a cover up and of gross incompetence going unaccounted for.

One of two ignitions that got out of control
– this one in ‘Lawson’s Long Alley‘, north of Mount Victoria
(Photo: Eric Berry, Rural Fire Service, 2006)


A week later, a front page article was published in the Sydney Morning Herald 20061211 by journalist Gregg Borschmann entitled ‘The ghosts of an enchanted forest demand answers‘ ^http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/the-ghosts-of-an-enchanted-forest-demand-answers/2006/12/10/1165685553891.html   [>Read article].  A second in depth article by Borschmann was also run on page 10 ‘The burning question‘, ^http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/the-burning-question/2006/12/10/1165685553945.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1, [>Read article – scroll down].

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Community activists form ‘Grose Fire Group’ in protest

.

Within days of the Grose Valley Fires finally coming under control, some 143 Blue Mountains concerned residents informally formed the ‘Grose Fire Group’ and collectively funded a full page letter in the local Blue Mountains Gazette 20061206 asking of the RFS a different set of questions:

.

‘We call on the New South Wales government to:

1.    Undertake a thorough, independent review of the Grose Valley fire, involving all stakeholders, with particular attention to the following questions:

  •  Were fire detection and initial suppression timely and adequate?
  •  Were resources adequate, appropriate and supported?
  •  Were the adopted strategies the best available under the circumstances?
  •  Could other strategies of closer containment have offered lower risk to the community, better firefighter safety, higher probabilities of success, lower costs and less impact on the environment?
  •  Was existing knowledge and planning adequately utilised?
  •  Is fire management funded in the most effective way?

2.    Ensure adequate funding is available for post-fire restoration, including the rehabilitation of environmental damage.
3.    Pay for more research to improve understanding of fire in the Blue Mountains landscape and methods for fire mitigation and suppression.
4.    Improve training in strategies for controlling fires in large bushland areas.
5.    Improve pre-fire planning to support decision-making during incidents.
6.    Improve systems to ensure that local fire planning and expertise is fully utilised during incidents, and that the protection of the natural and cultural values of World Heritage areas and other bushland are fully considered.’

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On 20061220, my letter was published in the Blue Mountains Gazette on page 12:

.

Blue Gum Lessons’

.
‘One of our most precious natural heritage assets, the Blue Gum Forest, has been allowed to be scorched by bushfire. This demands an independent enquiry into current fire fighting practices to ensure such a tragedy is not repeated.

Not a witch hunt, but what is needed is a constructive revision into improving bushfire fighting methods incorporating current research into the issue. The intensity and frequency of bushfires have become more prevalent due to disturbances by man, including climate change.

An enquiry should consider the assets worth saving; not just lives, homes and property but natural assets of the World Heritage Area. Fire fighting methods should seek to protect all these values.   It seems back-burning, however well-intentioned, burnt out the Blue Gum. This is unacceptable.   What went wrong? The future survival of our forests depends on how we manage fire.’

Blue Gum Forest shortly after the firestorm
(Photo:  Nick Moir, Sydney Morning Herald 20061210)

.

Ed:  The above community questions and demands were ignored by the RFS and the New South Wales Government.  Many within the ranks of the RFS came to its defence, as the following letters to the Blue Mountains Gazette reveal.

.

.

[>Read PDF version]

 

As letters to the editor continued over the Christmas holiday break, by January 2007, Local Member for the Blue Mountains and Minister for the Environment, Bob Debus MP finally responded by proposing that community members be given an opportunity to discuss their concerns with fire authorities and be encouraged to contribute to the development of revised fire management strategies, policies and procedures which may arise from the routine internal reviews of the 2006-07 fire season, and particularly the Grose Valley fire.

The ‘Grose Valley Fire Forum‘ was scheduled for Saturday 17th February 2007, but it was invitation only.  I requested permission to attend, but by was rejected.

The incinerated remains of the Grose Valley
– now devoid of wildlife, also incinerated

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Grose Valley Fire Forum

.

The following is an edited account of the official ‘Report on (the) Grose Valley Fire Forum‘, which was arranged and co-ordinated by the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute (BMWHI) and which took place at Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah on  Saturday 17th February 2007.  The Report is dated 16 March 2007.  ‘The content of this report reflects the Forum discussion and outcomes and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute‘ – BMWHI.

.

.

The Grose Valley Fire Forum and report were undertaken by the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute at the request of the NSW Minister for the Environment, the Honourable Bob Debus MP.

.

Forum Participants

.

  1. Associate Professor Sandy Booth – Forum Chairman and Facilitator (BMWH Institute)
  2. Professor Ross Bradstock Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires, University of Wollongong
  3. Mr Ian Brown BM Conservation Society
  4. Mr Don Cameron BM Conservation Society
  5. Mr Matthew Chambers Environmental Scientist, Blue Mountains City Council (Observer)
  6. Dr Rosalie Chapple Forum Co-Facilitator, BMWH Institute
  7. Mr Bob Conroy Director Central, Parks and Wildlife Division, DEC
  8. Ms Carol Cooper Darug and Gundungurra Nations (Observer)
  9. Superintendent Mal Cronstedt Blue Mountains District, Rural Fire Service
  10. Mr Grahame Douglas Acting Chair, BM Regional Advisory Committee
  11. Group Captain John Fitzgerald Blue Mountains District, Rural Fire Service
  12. Mr Shane Fitzsimmons Executive Director Operations, Rural Fire Service (Observer)
  13. Mr Richard Kingswood Area Manager Blue Mountains, Parks and Wildlife Division, DEC
  14. Mr Geoff Luscombe Regional Manager Blue Mountains, Parks and Wildlife Division, DEC
  15. Dr Brian Marshall President, BM Conservation Society (Observer)
  16. Mr Hugh Paterson BM Conservation Society & NSW Nature Conservation Council
  17. Dr Judy Smith GBMWH Advisory Committee Member
  18. Inspector Jack Tolhurst Blue Mountains District, Rural Fire Service
  19. Mr Haydn Washington GBMWH Advisory Committee Member
  20. Mr Pat Westwood Bushfire Program Coordinator, Nature Conservation Council
  21. Members of the general public were not permitted to attend, including this Editor, who had requested permission to attend

.

List of Acronyms used in this Report

.

AFAC    Australasian Fire Authorities Control
ARC    Australian Research Council
BFCC    Bush Fire Coordinating Committee
BM    Blue Mountains
BMCC    Blue Mountains City Council
BMWHI    Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute
BFMC    Blue Mountains District Bush Fire Management Committee
BMCS    Blue Mountains Conservation Society
CERMB    Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires, Faculty of Science, University of Wollongong
CRC    Co-operative Research Centre
DEC NSW    Department of Environment & Conservation
GBMWHA    Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area
GIS    Geographic Information System
NCC    NSW Nature Conservation Council
NPWS    NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, Department of Environment & Conservation
RAFT    Remote Area Fire-fighting Team
CRAFT    Catchment Remote Area Fire-fighting Team
RFS    NSW Rural Fire Service

The Grose Valley from Govetts Leap, Blackheath
(Photo by Editor 20061209, free in public domain, click photo to enlarge)

.

Forum Agenda

.

10.00    Welcome to Country – Carol Cooper

Introduction by the Forum Chair -Sandy Booth:

  • Purpose
  • Process
  • Agreements
  • Outcomes
  • Reporting

.

10.10   Introduction and opening statement by each participant without comment

.

10.30   Presentations (10 mins each) by:

  •  Mal Cronstedt (RFS) – report on agency debrief Dec 19
  •  Richard Kingswood (NPWS) – national parks and fire management
  •  Dr Brian Marshall President, Blue Mountains Conservation Society – local community perspective
  •  Ross Bradstock (Wollongong University) – gaps and priorities in bushfire research for the BM

.

11.10   Points of Clarification

.

11.20   Grose Valley Fire Management

  • Issues not covered in RFS official Section 44 Debrief Report

.

11.40   Fire Management and the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (WHA)   (Ed: the region affected by the fire)

  • Longer term and landscape scale management issues relating including climate change implications

.

12.00  Grose Valley Fire Management

.
1.00-2.00  Lunch

.

Grose Valley Fire Management and the WHA   (continued)

  • Identification of agreed list of actions, with nominated organisations and recommended timeframes

.

Close & Afternoon Tea  (Ed: no specific time set. 5pm?)

Ed:  Assuming that the forum concluded at around 5pm, the duration allocated for discussing and devising the ‘Actions’, including each Action’s Goal, Trends, Causes and Conditions, Delegation and Timeframe was just 3 hours, presuming the forum ended at 5pm. 

.

Since there are and remain some 50 listed Actions out of this forum within a 3 hour allocated period (2pm to 5pm), just 3.6 minutes was allowed for discussing and devising the details of each Action.  It is highly implausible that this could have been completed at the forum.  So the question remains: were many of the Forum’s 50 Actions in fact devised outside the forum either by the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute on its own or in consultation with some of the forum attendees?

.

In any case none of the Actions has been undertaken.  There has been no follow up report on the performance of the Actions. 

.

This Grose Valley Forum of 2007 was just a politically contrived token talk-fest behind closed doors.  Its glossy motherhood report was designed to appease critics of the RFS management of this devastating fire. 

.

The forum was not open to the general public, nor was it independent of bushfire management’s selective bias. 

.

The only benefit was that bushfire management would appease the critics of its handling of the fire fighting by producing a report and that most would forget.  Well the purpose of this article is, out of respect for the ecology and wildlife of the Grose Valley, to reveal that report and to help ensure people do not forget.

Forum Introduction

 

In November 2006, fire caused by lightning strikes burnt a significant area of the Grose Valley in the upper Blue Mountains of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (GBMWHA). Like many areas throughout the GBMWHA, the Grose Valley is an area of high natural and cultural value, including the iconic Blue Gum Forest. The two original ignitions were designated as the Burrakorain Fire and the Lawson’s Long Alley Fire, and they came jointly under the jurisdiction of an emergency declaration under Section 44 of the Rural Fires Act.

Community members called on the State Government to undertake a thorough and independent review of the management of this fire, involving all stakeholders. Principal among the issues raised by the concerned residents were backburning, impacts of frequent fires, under-utilisation of local expertise, and economic costs. The community members also called for adequate funding for rehabilitation and environmental restoration works, to conduct more research and training in certain areas of fire management, to improve pre-fire planning
and to develop management systems to better capture and utilise local knowledge.

Local Member for the Blue Mountains and Minister for the Environment, Hon. Bob Debus responded to these concerns by proposing that community members be given an opportunity to discuss their concerns with fire authorities and be encouraged to contribute to the development of revised fire management strategies, policies and procedures which may arise from the routine internal reviews of the 2006-07 fire season, and particularly the Grose Valley fire. The Minister also noted the opportunity for the community to be informed of, and
contribute to, the development of future research projects concerning climate change and fire regimes.

The Minister invited the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute (BMWHI) to organise and chair a forum of representative community members and fire authorities. The Institute is an independent non-profit organisation that supports the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of the GBMWHA, with a key objective to “support the integration of science, management and policy within and adjoining the GBMWHA properties.

The purpose of the forum was to:

  1. Brief the community on the management of the Grose Valley fire and the framework and context for the management of fire generally within the World Heritage Area
  2. Identify any issues that relate specifically to the management of the Grose Valley fire, and that haven’t already been captured and/or responded to within the s.44 debrief report
  3. Identify longer term and landscape scale issues relating to the management of fire in the Greater Blue Mountains WHA, particularly in this time of climate change
  4. Develop an action plan, which responds to any unresolved issues identified above.

.

In accordance with the Minister’s brief (Ed: Bob Debus), the following organisations were represented at the forum:

  • NSW Dept of Environment and Conservation;
  • NSW Rural Fire Service
  • Blue Mountains Conservation Society
  • Nature Conservation Council of NSW
  • Blue Mountains City Council
  • NPWS Regional Advisory Committee
  • GBMWHA Advisory Committee.

 

In addition to senior representatives of the agencies involved, representatives also came from the principal community-based organisations that had expressed concern and called for a review process. It should be noted that one of the main public calls for a review was made by an informal coalition of residents that was not formally represented at the forum, but a number of these residents were members of those organisations represented.

.

(Ed: the general public were not permitted to attend, there was no public notice of the forum in advance, and this Editor was specifically excluded from attending.)

 .

Forum Process

 

An open invitation was given to the community organisations to identify the issues of community interest and concern to be discussed at the Forum.

From these issues, a consolidated list of 22 issues (Table 1.2) was prepared by the Institute, and then circulated to all participants prior to the forum. To facilitate the workshop discussions and the detailed consideration of the identified issues, the ‘5R Risk Management Framework‘ was used to group the issues.

Following a Gundungurra and Darug ‘Welcome to Country’ by Carol Cooper, and an introduction by the Forum Chair, self-introductions and personal opening statements were made by each participant without comment. These were followed by a series of briefins on management of the Grose Valley Fire and fire management generally within the World Heritage Area. The Forum began by acknowledging that fire management in the Blue Mountains is close to best practice in many ways.

It was unfortunate that copies of the Section 44 debrief report were not available for the forum as anticipated (Ed: a copy is provided in the ‘Further Reading‘ appendix below).

While this was partly overcome through verbal presentation and comment, it limited the ability to reach consensus on the factual basis of what happened on the fire ground and to move forward productively from this point of consensus. Community representatives expressed their dissatisfaction with this situation, and it must be noted that the forum was therefore not able to engage effectively on specific issues of the control strategies used on the Grose Valley Fires.

After a brief session on points of clarification, the issues presented to the forum were explored in detail by working through a problem orientation process that asked a series of questions about each issue, to reach consensus on the exact nature of the problem. As this work progressed, a series of agreed actions were identified to effectively address key aspects of the issues as these unfolded. It is noted that the issues addressed toward the end of the day were examined in less detail due to time constraints, but warrant further attention (e.g. the issue about remote area fire-fighting teams). The original list of 22 issues was consolidated into 11 goal statements, with 50 associated actions.

The main body of this report presents the goals and actions along with documentation of the discussion that took place on the day. It utilises the structured approach to systematically work through the issues, and identify the actions required to bring about more sustainable bushfire management for the Blue Mountains. Within a week of the Forum, the Institute circulated a copy of the forum proceedings to all participants for comment and clarification. The Institute also sought identification of responsibilities for the 50 Actions identified by the Fire Forum.

It is strongly recommended that implementation of the Action Plan be reviewed annually by the representative organisations, to assess progress and effectiveness of actions. It is proposed that the BMWH Institute co-ordinate this review process in partnership with the Nature Conservation Council, with a workshop held after the 2007/08 fire season, to re-address the issues and their progress.  (Ed: This was never done)

 .

Forum Overview

.

A big challenge in bushfire management is how to better integrate valid community interests with those of fire management agencies. Over recent years, the public has come to demand and expect a greater say in decision-making processes that impact upon their local environment. The Grose Valley Fire Forum represents a step forward in this process of better integrating community knowledge and interests into local natural resource management.

The Forum also illustrated that the Blue Mountains community is both a great supporter of fire authorities, and of the role of volunteer firefighters for the outstanding effort that they are prepared to undertake on behalf of the community.

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The concerns and questions addressed at the forum included:

  • Identifying weaknesses and gaps in fire management plans and processes
    • How well are plans being implemented and what are the barriers to implementation e.g. financial, institutional, political?
    • How should fire authorities and land managers respond to climate change impacts?

.

  • Integrating scientific knowledge into fire management plans
    • How can bushfire management policy allow for the incomplete knowledge of complex ecological systems?
    • What roles should science and other research play in decision processes, given the uncertainty arising from incomplete understanding of ecosystem dynamics and insufficient scientific information?

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  • The role of fire as an ecological process
    • How do we resolve the conflict between rapid fire suppression to reduce risk versus the fire-dependency of the ecosystem?
    • What does it take to more effectively mitigate against the risk?

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  • Concern that fire control strategies do not compromise the significant natural and cultural heritage values of the Greater Blue Mountains region.
    • How can bushfire management policy better account for protection of World Heritage values?
    • How adaptive is bushfire management and policy to the specific circumstances of the Blue Mountains?

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The Forum recommended actions in relation to:

  • Better interpretation of ecological data into decision-making and practical fire-fighting procedures
  • Improvements in bushfire risk management planning
  • Better translation of legislated objectives for protection of natural and cultural values into operational guidelines
  • Improved information flow between fire authorities and the community during and after major fires, including more transparency and public involvement in the review processes
  • Increasing funding for fire-related research, planning, risk mitigation, and post-fire ecological rehabilitation
  • Enhancing the preparedness, detection and rapid fire response capacity of fire authorities in response to fire ignitions
  • Modelling the effects of different control strategies and suppression.

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The Forum acknowledged the increasing and serious challenges arising from risks associated with liabilities and litigation. These trends are of principal concern to fire management agencies and the fire fighters themselves, and many in the general community share these concerns.

Bushfire management is a cultural phenomenon, inextricably bound up between nature and culture. It involves the interaction of multiple, complex systems, including:

  • organisational/institutional behaviour and decision-making
  • fire fighting strategies and technologies
  • science, research and ecosystem behaviour
  • variable fire behaviour and weather, including climate change
  • politics; and
  • personal values and attitudes.

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The complexity is increasing, especially with climate change, along with pressure for bushfire management to be more adaptive and responsive to the needs of the present and the future.
Facilitating the necessary changes in the behaviour of any of these systems is highly challenging for both government and the community. These systems often have severe constraints including limited resources, threats of litigation, and limited data on which sound decisions can be confidently made. Where these systems are not continuing to learn and adapt, is where attention is needed, not on individual accountabilities. Sound decision-making at the time of a fire event is crucial and the process by which these decisions are made requires careful
analysis. The system should be able to support open reflection after a fire, without blame or litigation. This is where a process of scientific analysis should come into its own: what the fire did, what was done to control it, what worked, what didn’t, why or why not, and what can be done to make things better. How can the system be changed and improved to make success more likely?

Research and adaptive management are essential in helping to address both current challenges and the issues arising from climate change. But alone, these will not bring about the required changes as neither of these domains explicitly addresses the overall policy process or the political realm in which bushfire management happens. Conflict and uncertainty are becoming increasingly common, as evidenced by the Four Corners Program “Firestorm” broadcast on Monday 12th March. The program featured the 2004 Canberra Bushfires and also
raised the Grose Valley fire and resulting Fire Forum.

To overcome the key problems identified by the Grose Valley Fire Forum and achieve real and lasting triple bottom line outcomes, change and innovation need to take place in the realm of governance. This is particularly the case in the areas of science, policy and decision-making.

The Grose Valley Fire Forum has brought fire management agencies and interested representatives of the community together in a spirit of co-operation to consider issues critical to the management of bushfires. Driven by the high conservation values of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, the implications of the issues raised at this Forum have obvious relevance to other regions and states. Protecting people as well as the environment should not be mutually exclusive. Our efforts to address this challenge in the Blue Mountains will increasingly come in for close scrutiny.

Notwithstanding the existing mechanisms of review and community consultation surrounding bushfire management, the Institute recommends to the Minister that the issues and actions identified herein by the Grose Valley Fire Forum warrant special consideration and support.

Properly pursued with senior political and agency commitment and support, they offer key insights and potential pathways for the continued adaptive development and implementation of state of the art fire fighting for which NSW, and in particular, the Blue Mountains are justifiably renowned.

 .

Issues of Community Interest and Concern

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A.   Research, information and analysis

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1.  Commitment in fire management to conservation of natural and cultural values of World Heritage Area as well as human life and property.
2.  Understanding and consideration (including on-ground knowledge) both by those involved in pre-fire planning and those required to make operational decisions during fire events -of the WH values for which the GBMWHA was inscribed on the world heritage list, and of other values, such as geodiversity, cultural values and beauty, which have the potential to be nominated for World Heritage listing in the future.
3.  Biodiversity impacts of frequent fires in Grose Valley for last 40 years, including impacts of the recent fire on World Heritage values.
4.  The ecological basis for fire policy (knowledge base for response of local biota to fire regimes) e.g. biodiversity loss associated both with high fire frequency and intensity, and with fire exclusion.
5.  Translation of NPWS Blue Mountains Fire Management Plan (e.g. risks to natural heritage particularly World Heritage values) to S.52 operational plans during Grose Valley fire.
6.  Effectiveness of review processes in generating real improvements for the future; current debriefing process performed by BFMCs [i.e. BFCC Policy 2/2006].
7.  Assessment of community values – protection of property versus protection of the natural environment.
8.  Implications of climate change for increased fire frequency and intensity.
9.  Adequate funds for fire suppression versus inadequate funds for research, planning and fire mitigation.

.
B.   Risk modification

.

10. Effectiveness of current risk strategies in managing fire regimes for biodiversity and community/asset protection (e.g. upper Grose Valley).
11. Implications of climate change for risk modification (e.g. fuel reduction).

.

C.   Readiness

.

12. Skills in implementing fire control strategies for large bushland areas e.g. back-burning.
13. Ecological sustainability of current responses to fire (both suppression & bushfire risk management) e.g. knowledge and skill of plant operators in sensitive environments (environmental damage from machine work e.g. bulldozer lines).
14. Community understanding of control strategies used.
15. RAFT capacity (e.g. for night-time work).
16. Efficiency of fire detection technologies.

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D.   Response

.

17. Back-burn control strategy from “Northern Strategic Line” and Bell’s Line of Road in large bushland area: overriding consideration for asset protection versus lack of consideration and recognition of impacts on ecological values.
18. Application of planning, guidelines, procedures & local information & expertise during fire suppression.
19. Rapid containment of lightning strike or arson fires.
20. Aerial attack efficiency and effectiveness.
21. Media – inaccurate and misleading use of language and presentation of information.

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E.   Recovery

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22. Funding for post-fire assessment, strategy review and ecological restoration including addressing activation of weed seed banks.

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Problem Orientation Process

(Problem Solving Methodology applied by the BMWHI to the Forum)

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1. Clarify goals in relation to the issue

  • What goals or ends do we want?
  • Are people’s values clear? (there may be an over-riding goal and then more specific goals to operationalise the over-riding goal)

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2. Describe trends

  • Looking back at the history of the issue, what are the key trends?
  • Have events moved toward or away from the specified goals?  Describe both past and current trends.

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3. Analyse causes and conditions

  • What factors, relationships, and conditions created these trends, including the complex interplay of factors that affected prior decisions? (e.g. environmental, social, political factors) i.e. what explanations are there for the trends?
  • What management activities have affected the trends?
  • What are the conflicts about different approaches to address the issue?

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4. Projection of developments (e.g. if no action is taken to address the issue)

  • Based on trends and conditions, what is likely to happen in the future (e.g. if nothing is done differently).
  • If past trends continue, what can we expect?
  • Is the likely future the one that will achieve the goals?
  • What future possible developments are there (e.g. politically, environmentally e.g. how will climate change affect the problem)?

 

5. Decide on any Actions to address the problem

  • If trends are not moving toward the goal, then a problem exists and actions need to be considered.
  • What other policies, institutional structures, and procedures might move toward the goal?
  • What research, analysis, or public education may be needed?

 

* Adapted from Clark, T.W. 2002. “The Policy Process: a practical guide for natural resource professionals.” Yale University Press. U.S.
Vast hectares of the Blue Mountains’ native vegetation was either left to burn uncontrolled
or else deliberately burned by the RFS and NPWS

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Action Plan

~ a consolidated list of goals and actions  [organisations delegated for executing ‘Actions’ are shown in brackets  […]

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1.  Protection of Natural and Cultural Values

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GOAL:

.

To protect natural and cultural heritage values, consistent with the protection of human life and property, by ensuring that bushfire management strategies:

• take a risk management approach toward protection of these values
• improve access to and interpretation of natural and cultural heritage values when deciding on fire suppression strategies and tactics
• ensure that these natural and cultural heritage guidelines for fire management are integrated throughout the entire planning framework for short, medium and long-term bushfire management and operational strategies.

.

ACTIONS:

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1. Data collected within the “Managing ecosystem change in the GBMWHA” project, including the new GIS, to be effectively interpreted into decision-making and practical fire-fighting terms. [Responsibility for action: BMWHI & CERMB – ARC Linkage project, NPWS, BMCC, BMCS]

2. Monitor impacts of fires on Aboriginal cultural heritage values, and undertake opportunistic mapping of these values post-fire. Translate findings into decision-making and practical fire fighting terms. As a priority, undertake an opportunistic survey of Aboriginal cultural heritage post-Grose fire. [Aboriginal communities, BMWHI, NPWS]

3. Greater effort in general to be made in translating and interpreting research and other relevant information on the protection of ecological and cultural values to better inform decision-making and into practical fire-fighting terms wherever required. [CERMB, BMWHI, NPWS, BMCC, BMCS]

4. Consider further developments in environmental risk management planning by the BFCC for inclusion in the Bush Fire Risk Management Plan model template. [BFMC]

5. Effectively integrate the strategic hazard reduction plan being developed by BMCC, into the risk management plan and the operations plans. [BMCC, BFMC]

6. Translate the NPWS Fire Management Strategies objectives for protection of natural and cultural values into operational guidelines across the entire planning framework at all levels, using a risk management approach. [NPWS, BFMC]

7. Continue to identify the best mix of treatments i.e. prevention, mitigation, suppression and recovery, to achieve both fire management and land management objectives. [NPWS, RFS, BFMC]

8. Review risk management and operational plans to include relevant reserve fire management plan information, including aspects of mitigation and appropriate fire management guidelines from the RFS Environmental Code [BFMC].

9. Develop a single map-based approach for interagency use that depicts all relevant information in a user-friendly way and enables optimal use and consideration of this information under operational conditions. [NPWS, RFS, BMCC, BFCC, BFMC, BMCS]

10. Provide the outcomes of this forum to the BFCC for consideration in developing and reviewing policies and procedures such as for the Bush Fire Risk Management Policy and Bush Fire Risk Management Plan Model template. [NPWS, RFS]

11. Develop a quantitative framework for risk management: undertake research to evaluate the effectiveness of current strategies to inform the resources and strategies required to achieve integrated life, property, cultural and natural value protection outcomes. The research should identify what is the return on current ‘investment’ and the results then linked back to budgeting systems [BMWHI].

12. Undertake and improve community liaison and surveys to better capture community values within fire management plans [BFMC].

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2.  The Role of Fire as an ‘Ecological Process’

.

GOAL:

(2?) To better understand the role of fire as an ecological process, including the long-term ecological effects of fire regimes on fauna and flora, as a basis for identifying fire regimes that sustain the ecology both locally and across the landscape.

.

ACTIONS:

13. Undertake a research project using the Grose Valley fire as a case study, to ascertain and explore the opportunities to improve fire management for protection of ecological impacts [NPWS, BMCC, CERMB, BMWHI].

14. Development of a threat abatement plan for the ecological consequences of high frequency fires. [DEC]

15. Use the Blue Mountains as a case study for modelling different control strategies and suppression (e.g. analysis of suppression operations) utilising historical raw data for retrospective mapping. [RBradstock/CERMB]

16. Source external funds for priority research and investigation projects [NPWS, RFS, BMCC].

17. Undertake ecological research into the impacts of fire regimes including intervals between fires, ensuring an appropriate focus on large-scale transformation [NPWS, BMCC, CERMB, BMWHI].

18. Undertake the necessary ground-truthing investigations to ascertain whether ecological predictions are being played out. That is, are observed trends in ecosystems matching the predictions from the models? Other research and investigation priorities include:
a. Threatened species and communities, including mapping of successional processes (e.g. woodland to heathland shifts and changes to hanging swamp boundaries) and wet sclerophyll forest (e.g. Blue Gum Forest, E. oreades) and warm temperate rainforest regeneration;
b. Species composition and structure comparison of those areas burnt in 2002;

c. Species composition and structure comparison of those fires burnt with high frequency;
d. Document / map / audit weed plumes that have occurred after past fires, and similarly for the weed plumes that will already be occurring after the 2006 Grose Valley fire;
e. Build upon current research results to further elucidate how the Grose Valley responded to the ‘94 fire.  [CERMB, NPWS, BMCC & BMWHI via ARC Linkage Grant]

19. Initiate appropriate involvement of the broader community in research and particularly Aboriginal people for Aboriginal cultural heritage research, in all relevant research projects. [BMWHI, NPWS, BMCC]

20. Develop mechanisms to effectively and promptly communicate research outcomes to agencies, fire-fighters and communities, and for application of these to risk management planning and human resource planning and assessment during fires. [BFMC]

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3. Review Processes and Public Communication

.

GOAL:

.

To ensure effectiveness of fire review and debriefing processes and their communication to the public by:

  • Communicating to the community the results of interagency review processesincluding an analysis of fire strategies and environmental impacts within major debriefs and review
  • Enabling greater community participation in major fire debriefs and fire reviews.

.

ACTIONS:

.

21 Urgent distribution of the section 44 debrief report to all participants in the forum. [RFS]

22 Greater provision for earlier feedback to and from the community after a major fire, regarding fire control strategies, prior to release of formal report.  Also address what the barriers are to increasing community knowledge and what approaches are most effective. [RFS, BFMC]

23 Request the Coordinating Committee to revisit the s44 debrief policy and procedures and/or other appropriate mechanisms to develop an appropriate means for getting feedback from the community via a system that enables issues to be raised and feedback to be provided. The development of a policy and procedural framework for Incident Controllers may assist here. [NCC/NPWS, BMCS]

24 Undertake promotion and community education programs to familiarise the community with the framework that exists for debriefing processes and the arising information flows and decision-making processes. Incorporate this into existing Firewise program. [BFMC, RFS]

25 Encourage a culture of openness, learning and evidence-based decision-making, including understanding by volunteer fire fighters that criticism is of the process not of the implementer. [All organisations represented at forum]

26. Continue to undertake interpretation / education / media and fire-related Discovery activities. [NPWS]

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4.  Climate Change and Risk Mitigation

.

GOAL:

To prepare for the more extreme conditions associated with climate change, by addressing the policy and management implications for control strategies and landscape management.

.

ACTIONS:

27. Research priorities include:

  • Investigate efficacy of current risk mitigation in the Blue Mountains. [NPWS, CERMB]
  • Climate change impacts on hanging swamps.
  • Build understanding of underlying shifts in environmental conditions and their effects on fire occurrence and fire behaviour.
  • Implications of climate change for fire behaviour and invasive species. [CERMB, BMWHI & ARC Linkage project]
  • Investigate plant dispersal in relation to climate change, quantifying ecological processes and habitat requirements critical to species persistence and their ability to move to new habitats given climate change. [CERMB, BMWHI & ARC Linkage project]

 

28. The results of this Forum should be used to advocate and lead improved dialogue and action to address the key issues pertaining to climate change and start to influence policy change. [NCC, BMWHI, CERMB, BMCS, NPWS, RFS, BMCC]

29. Investigate opportunities for increased resourcing for risk mitigation and for bushfire behaviour research. [NPWS, RFS, CERMB, BMWHI]

30. Enhance the preparedness, detection and rapid fire response capacity of fire authorities in response to fire ignitions. [Fire authorities]

31. Deliver a presentation about this forum, at the May 2007 conference of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW on bushfire and climate change. [DEC, BMWHI, NCC; 31 May-1 June 2007]

.

5.  Resourcing and Investment

.

GOAL:

Increase the availability of resources for fire-related research, planning and fire mitigation.

.

ACTIONS:

32. Formally approach the Environmental Trust to consider the allocation of Environmental Trust funds for use in fire related research including investigation of fire impacts. [NPWS]

33. Raise the needs and investigate the opportunities for increased commitment to rehabilitation following fire with the Catchment Management Authorities. [BFMC]

34. Allocation of additional resources for the BFMC to implement the recommendations in this document, particularly for actions resulting in strengthening risk management objectives. [BFMC members]

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6.   Risk Management Strategies for Multiple Outcomes

.

GOAL:

.

To develop effective fire risk management strategies for mitigation and suppression in large bushland areas through:

  • Evidence-based plans and strategies;
  • Ensuring that fire fighters in wilderness and other remote areas have adequate support and training for safe and effective implementation of fire control strategies.

.

ACTIONS:

.

35. Address the issue of risk management planning, including investigating use of corridors for hazard reductions as part of an integrated approach that allows for ecological considerations. [Land managers/NPWS]

36. Seek more funding for community involvement in Local Government Area fire management (i.e. liaison officer position for community engagement prior to release of plan), which will assist administration/enforcement of regulatory processes. [BMCC]

37. Workshops held to provide further information regarding fire suppression in remote/wilderness areas, and BFMC to list potential contractors that could be eligible for such ecologically sound, operational training in fire control strategies for remote/wilderness areas including back-burning and bulldozer lines. [BFMC, NPWS]

.

7.   RAFT Capacity

.

GOAL:

.

To improve RAFT (Remote Area Firefigfting Team) capacity to deal effectively with most remote ignitions.

.

ACTIONS:

.

38. Facilitate and support more RFS people to participate in RAFT [RFS]

39. Review and combine NPWS and RFS RAFT policy and procedures, including consideration for nighttime RAFT deployment [NPWS, RFS].
40. Address pre-deployment capacity in context of return on investment i.e. economically model across landscape to see how it meets needs and model against suppression costs [NPWS, RFS].

.

8.   Fire Detection Technologies

.

GOAL:

.

To explore the potential of emerging technologies for higher efficiency in fire detection.

.

ACTIONS:

.

41. Consider the new technologies where appropriate and consider the benefits of Blue Mountains piloting new technologies for broad-scale remote surveillance, and evaluate cost effectiveness. [BF Coordinating Committee and NPWS]

.

9.   Aerial Attack

.

GOAL:

.

Continue to optimise effectiveness of aerial attack strategies and operations.

.

ACTIONS:

.

42. Practically strengthen record keeping during operations to assist analysis by identifying a system that is capable of catching data in real-time. [DBFMA, BFCC]

43. Identify and use some simple decision rules for aircraft deployment to maximise aircraft cost-effectiveness. [BFMC]

.

10.    Role of the Media

.

GOAL:

.

To have better processes in place to ensure accurate presentation of fire incident information through the media.

.

ACTIONS:

.

 

44. Work with the tourism industry to develop their risk management strategy. [BFMC]

45. Before/during a fire, convey explanations of what control strategies and why, to inform community. [BFMC]

46. Undertake pre-season briefs to journalists; discourage use of sensitised language (e.g. National Parks destroyed, trashed, destruction and horror, fire hell etc). [District Committee, RFS, NPWS, BFMC]

47. Engage local media in communicating exactly which areas are out of bounds, so they people don’t stop coming to remaining open areas. [BFMC]

.

11.   Post Fire Recovery

.

GOAL:

.

To adequately fund ecological restoration after a large wildfire.

.

ACTIONS:

.

48. Approach the Environmental Trust regarding the establishment of a delineated fund (possibly from Trust Funds) to support ecological restoration which could be needed for several years post-fire and ensure initiative is appropriately linked to Section 44 state level response and also the SCA for post fire ecological funding to protect catchment values. [NPWS]

49. Ensure a strategic approach to site rehabilitation e.g. by placing an emphasis on rehabilitation of weedy sites that are a threat to natural values downstream. [Land managers]

50. NPWS to consider establishing a new dedicated staff position to coordinate and manage volunteers undertaking rehabilitation projects and activities within the Blue Mountains region of DEC. [NPWS]

.

This Forum was a Farce

.

None of these 50 Actions has been acted upon nor implemented since 2007; now five years ago.

.

The entire forum process was a farce from the outset.  It only served to allow those responsible to escape accountability and responsibility for incompetence and mass bush arson without reputational blemish. 

.

RFS Incident Controller, Mal Cronstedt, relocated himself back to West Australia (Fire & Emergency Services Authority), where he was from.  NPWS Blue Mountains Manager, Richard Kindswood, went on extended leave.  RFS Commissioner, Phil Koperberg, was seconded by the NSW Labor Party to become Minister for Blue Mountains (i.e. promoted).  Bob Debus was seconded by the Federal Labor Party to become Federal Member for Macquarie (i.e. promoted).  Blue Mountains Councillor Chris van der Kley stayed on as Chair of the Blue Mountains Bushfire Management Committee.

.

Blue Mountains Bushfire Fighting practice, strategy, management, culture  remains ‘RFS Business-as-usual’ status and similarly ill-equipped for the next bushfire catastrophe.

.

No lessons were learnt.  More tragically, no lessons want to be learnt.

.

RFS:  …’we know what we are doing and how dare anyone criticise us and our hard working bushfire fighting volunteers!

How it all started.
..as a small ignition ten days prior.

.

Further Reading

.

[1]   ‘2006 Grose Valley Fire – a cover up, article by The Habitat Advocate, 20101217, >https://www.habitatadvocate.com.au/?p=3220

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[2]  ‘2006 Grose Valley Fires – any lessons learnt?, article by The Habitat Advocate, 20120118, >https://www.habitatadvocate.com.au/?p=12859

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[3]  ‘Grose Valley Fire Forum Report – FINAL (BMWHI 20070402).pdf‘, >[Read Report]  (4.2 mb)

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[4]  Rural Fire Service’s  official report of Grose Valley Bushfires, report by Incident Controller Mal Cronstedt, Rural Fire Service, 20070208, >’Lawsons Long Alley Section 44 Report

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[5]   ‘Blue Mountains Council Business Paper 20070424 Item 7 Cost of Grose Fire’, Blue Mountains Council, >Blue-Mountains-Council-Business-Paper-20070424-Item-7-Cost-of-Grose-Fire.pdf

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[6]   ‘Blue Mountains World Heritage’, by Alex Colley (text) and Henry Gold (photography), published by The Colong Foundation for Wilderness, 2004, Foreward: “This book celebrates one of the greatest achievements of the Australian conservation  movement – the creation of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area” ~ Bob Carr, Premier of New South Wales, March 2004. ^http://www.colongwilderness.org.au/BMWH_book/BMWH_book.htm,  ^http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/917

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[7]   ‘Back from the Brink: Blue Gum Forest and the Grose Wilderness’, book by Andy Macqueen, 1997, ^http://infobluemountains.net.au/review/book/bftb.htm

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‘The Cradle of Conservation’

‘Everyone has been to the lookouts.  Many have been to the Blue Gum Forest, deep in the valley – but few know the remote and hiden recesses of the labyrinth beyond.  Here, an hour or two from Sydney, is a very wild place.

The Grose has escaped development.  There have been schemes for roads, railways, dams, mines and forestry (Ed:  ‘logging’), but the bulldozers have been kept out.  Instead, the valley became the ‘Cradle of Conservation’ in New South Wales when it was reserved from sale in 1875 – an event magnificently reinforced in 1931 when a group of bushwalkers were moved to save Blue Gum Forest from the axe.

This is story of the whole Grose Wilderness, and of the Blue Gum Forest in particular.  It is the story of people who have visited the wilderness: Aborigines, explorers, engineers, miners, track-builders, bushwalkers, conyoners, climbers…those who have loved it, and those who have threatened it.’

.

[8]   ‘Battle for the Bush: The Blue Mountains, the Australian Alps and the origins of the wilderness movement‘, book by Geoff Mosley, 1999, published by Envirobook in conjunction with The Colong Foundation for Wilderness Limited.  ^http://themountainjournal.wordpress.com/interviews-profiles/geoff-mosley/

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