The NSW Bushfire and Natural Hazards Research Centre has been created as an outcome of the 2020 NSW Independent Bushfire Inquiry and the 2022 NSW Flood Inquiry. Commencing in February 2024, the centre is still in the establishment phase.
The BNHRC “unites researchers from partner universities with government agencies, frontline emergency services, Aboriginal people and community stakeholders in a collective effort to tackle the challenges posed by bushfires and other natural hazards” (BNHRC website).
The centre also says it will “focus on the research needed to address key recommendations from the 2020 Bushfire Inquiry and 2022 Flood Inquiry“. The government-funded consortium is led by Western Sydney University as a collaboration with a number of other universities.
IBG comment
- This is a welcome advance on the limited disaster research landscape, especially given the threat of increased disasters with climate change and the critical need for adaptive strategies. A potentially powerful team of researchers has been assembled. However it is understood funding is limited to a few years. IBG would like to see this made permanent.
- As yet there is no published research program, but IBG understands several projects have commenced. We look forward to further details being published.
- IBG, researchers and others have repeatedly called attention to the small amount of research into bushfire operations in Australia, especially in terms of strategies and effectiveness (eg. see IBG’s Learning from past fire operations for future success).
- IBG’s view is that it is essential to collect more information, conduct more analysis and learn much more from past fire operations. Areas needing attention include the effectiveness of aerial firefighting and the cost/benefit of better rapid response to remote lightning fires. It is to be hoped that the new research centre can help to rectify this shortfall with some urgency.
Independent Bushfire Group 