Bushfire fuel reduction to keep Canberra safe in the warmer months


Released 25/07/2017

Minister for Planning and Land Management, Mick Gentleman, said the ACT is well prepared for the coming bushfire season with 91% of actions achieved from the 2015/16 Bushfire Operations Plan (BOP).

“Staff from ACT Parks and Conservation worked hard last financial year to deliver the vast majority of activities under the BOP to help keep the Canberra community safe from the risk of bushfire,” Minister Gentleman said.

The BOP is prepared each year in consultation with the ACT Rural Fire Service, the ACT Bush Fire Council and the Emergency Services Agency. It includes a range of tasks from prescribed burns to grazing and slashing. Activities undertaken in 2015-16 included:

  • 49 prescribed burns covering 6,663 hectares which included around 6,000 hectares of burns in Namadgi
  • 6044 hectares of strategic grazing across the outer edge of residential areas
  • 5511 hectares of slashing in urban areas
  • 397 hectares of physical removal of fire fuels
  • 120 kilometres of fire trail maintenance

A significant amount of training was also undertaken, involving 57 separate activities.

Staff from the ACT Parks and Conservation Service completed 91% of the plan with the remainder of activities such as controlled burns and track maintenance having to be postponed due to inclement weather conditions.

These activities will be rolled into this year’s BOP currently been developed, along with new initiatives.

“It is important to note that whilst a 100% achievement rate is desirable in the bushfire operations plan, that weather plays an important factor in what is achievable and in many cases activities such as controlled burns cannot go ahead in poor weather conditions.” Minister Gentleman said.

“Our staff were also deployed to two international fire fighting efforts in Canada and the USA as well as assisted with the fire season’s emergency in Tasmania in January 2016. These deployments totalled in excess of 150 staff days, providing valuable experience to our fire fighting efforts.

Minister Gentleman said work on the proposed 2016/17 BOP is already underway, and will be finalised ahead of the commencement of the fire season, which is generally declared in October each year.

“I would like to thank not only the staff from the ACT Parks and Conservation Service, but also volunteers and Canberra’s fire fighting team for their continued dedication and hard work in making sure that Canberra is bushfire ready.” Minister Gentleman concluded.

- Statement ends -

Mick Gentleman, MLA | Media Releases


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