The Independent Bushfire Group is a voluntary NSW collaboration of non-aligned bushfire practitioners, fire managers, land managers, fire researchers and ecologists. The Group’s experience covers every aspect of bushfire, from working on the end of a rake-hoe to organisational leadership, and includes lighting planned fires and putting out wildfires, Incident Controller for emergency fires (‘section 44’ in NSW), measuring fuel moisture levels, studying fire behaviour, planning village fire protection, community fire education, analysing fires and assessing their ecological impacts. With a practical focus and more than 450 years of collective experience across a range of fire landscapes in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and WA, we promote better bushfire management in the face of climate change. Our detailed report on better fire management for NSW can be accessed on the reports page. Our members as at June 2023…

Denise Allen BSc (Forestry)

Denise Allen is a professional forester with over 39 years’ experience in land management. Denise spent 15 years working for the Forest Department and the Department of Conservation and Land Management in Western Australia, nine of those years as District Manager Jarrahdale, just 60km south-east of the Perth CBD. There she was responsible for implementing broadscale aerial burns and fire suppression activities within close proximity to a large and vocal populous. Working for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Denise has had roles managing the fire management program at an Area, Region and Branch level. She assisted in establishing the Enhanced Bushfire Management Program on the north coast of NSW and has been involved in overseeing its implementation. Denise most recently acted as Manager of Booderee National Park, a park jointly managed by the local indigenous community of Wreck Bay and Parks Australia staff.

Peter Brookhouse B.Sc, AssDipAppSc (Park Mgt), Churchill Fellow 1995

Peter Brookhouse has worked in protected area management for 35 years, with 30 years as a fire management specialist for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. He prepared the first NPWS comprehensive bushfire policy and procedures manual, introduced the Incident Control System into the agency in 1990 and developed training programs and fire management planning processes. From 1995 he was based at Coonabarabran where he facilitated and led multi-agency operations and planning in the Pilliga. He was a Churchill Fellow (1995). He assisted in bushfire training programs in Botswana, Kenya and Sumatra. He works with Fireground P/L which delivers bushfire training services to Forestry Corporation NSW. He was selected to assist the Mongolian National Emergency Management Agency in 2020, but COVID cut short the deployment. He has been an active member of the RFS since 1987.

Ian Brown OAM, BA (Earth Sciences), National Fire Medal

Ian Brown worked in national park management for 20 years and was involved in over 100 fires in roles from crew member to Incident Controller. He was the planning leader for the 1994 Bell Range fire emergency in the Grose Valley (Blue Mountains National Park) and Deputy Incident Controller for the emergency declaration phase of the 1994 Gospers Mountain fire (Wollemi National Park). He worked on planning for the Northern Strategic Line in the Blue Mountains. He managed bushfire programs across the Blue Mountains park system and served on two district bushfire management committees. In recent years he has been an independent environmental consultant, maintaining a keen interest in bushfire issues. IBG Secretary.

Dave Darlington BA (Earth Sciences), DipEd, National Fire Medal

Dave Darlington is a retired NPWS Regional Manager from the Snowy Mountains. Dave helped to develop and refine the incident management system in the 1990s and was a key IMS instructor for NPWS. In the Snowy Mountains fires of 2002-03 he was the Section 44 incident controller continuously from mid-December 02 to March 03 (for which he was awarded Australia Day Citizen of the Year by Snowy River Shire Council). He has also managed numerous smaller incidents. He was the NPWS representative on several Bushfire Management Committees from the mid 90’s until his retirement in 2013. Dave is an active member of the Jindabyne RFS Bushfire Brigade and is Brigade President. He assisted the Rural Fire Service to develop a Community Fire Protection Plan for some key rural residential estates in his Brigade area.

Stephen Dovey BSc, National Fire Medal

Stephen Dovey has been actively involved in fire management and suppression over 35 years in the NPWS. For the past 20 years as Area Manager he has been actively involved in cooperative firefighting with other agencies on the Bega Valley District Bushfire Committee. He has applied fire for ecological purposes as well as protection of life and property.

Mike Gorman BEng Electrical, National Fire Medal

Mike Gorman has been a NSW RFS volunteer and brigade captain with over 20 years fire experience. He has been actively involved in many NSW fires starting in 2001 and culminating in the 2019/20 fire season, including many out of area deployments. In 2018 in response to community concerns regarding the drought and accelerated bushfire risk he started a community led bushfire preparedness program in Kangaroo Valley. This program was tested in the extreme when the Currowan fire entered Kangaroo Valley in early 2020 under catastrophic conditions. Following the outstanding success of this program he has developed a particular interest in bottom-up community led disaster resilience. He has continued to contribute to the further development of Kangaroo Valley’s preparedness while also assisting other communities to develop their own community led programs.

Lyndsay Holme DipTeaching, TeachingCert, AssocDip (Environmental Control), MAppSc (Environmental Management), National Fire Medal

Lyndsay Holme has worked as a teacher in the Australian education system and for several decades as a ranger, field officer, forest fire fighter, ecologist and educationist with both the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Rural Fire Service in New South Wales. He is the principal of Blue Labyrinth ECOServices, a private consultancy, where he undertakes ecological survey and bushfire risk assessment and prepares land system fire management plans for both government and the private sector. For 18 months in 2016-17 he worked as an Australian Government volunteer in the Kingdom of Bhutan, assisting with forest fire fighter training and advising Bhutan’s Department of Forests and Park Services on strategic fire management and planning. He is also an active member of his neighbourhood CFU which was activated a number of times during the recent fire emergency period.

Wyn Jones BAgSc

Wyn Jones is a wildlife ecologist and botanist with 50 years’ field and research experience across a variety of landscapes. He is regarded as an expert on the ecology and wildlife of the Blue Mountains, where he has undertaken many studies on endangered species of flora and fauna, examined bushfire impacts and mapped vegetation. He has also created numerous community-based education and engagement programs founded in the natural values of the area. He is a photographer and a poet.

Geoff Luscombe BSc (Hons)

Geoff Luscombe worked for 30 years with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, 23 years as Regional Manager for the Blue Mountains and then Central Coast. He was involved in fire management and fire operations throughout his career, often at a high level in one of the most complex fire management areas in Australia. He played a key role in developing NPWS fire policies, managed strategic burning programs, developed many fire management plans and was Incident Controller for many emergency-level fires, some involving significant property loss, coronial enquiry and litigation. Geoff has served on many bushfire management committees. IBG Convenor.

Gregor Manson BSc (Forestry)

Gregor Manson began his 40-year career in the agro-forestry industry including time as an RFS volunteer in central west NSW. Later he joined NSW NPWS in Blue Mountains as Chief Ranger and then Superintendent from 1985 to 1995. He progressed to other senior executive roles across state and federal government focused on natural resources and emergency management, including NPWS Director for Snowy Region, Executive Director of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Commissioner of Emergency Services for the Australian Capital Territory. Gregor has a very strong track record in managing fire in the landscape, during many significant fire incidents and as an emergency controller. He has also played a significant role in developing training manuals and fire protection plans, teaching incident management skills and as a member of the Australasian Fire and Emergency Authorities Council and the Australian Emergency Management Committee, and also as a Director of the National Aerial Firefighting Centre. Gregor’s main focus has been on improving science-based land management, risk management and strategic planning. He has been a strong advocate for local planning through an all-of-agency approach, to build community ownership and resilience in managing risks and developing responses.

Tim Shepherd BSc (Hons), Grad Dip Mediation and Conflict Resolution

Tim Shepherd is a former NPWS Regional Manager on the NSW Far South Coast. His firefighting career began as a seasonal fire fighter in the late 1970s with the then Victorian Forestry Commission. As Regional Manager he held senior IMT roles and worked in coordination roles between agencies and other IMTs during major incidents. He formed the first Aboriginal fire team in NSW NPWS and worked with the Boards of the Aboriginal owned Gulaga and Biamanga National Parks to develop approaches to cultural burning. Under his leadership the NPWS Far South Coast region doubled its hazard reduction output in terms of numbers of burns and hectares treated. In the 2019-2020 fires he served as a volunteer in the Incident Management Team based in Bega.

Bill Shields

Bill Shields is a Bilpin orchardist who as a volunteer with the Rural Fire Service for more than 50 years has been involved at every level of fire fighting since the 1960’s. He served as Captain of Bilpin RFS for 30 years and as a Group Officer in the Hawkesbury for 16 years. Over this period, he was involved in every major fire in the Bilpin area, including as Divisional Commander for all the big fires until 2013. He has been a Divisional Commander and Strike Team Leader on numerous fires outside the Hawkesbury in NSW. He has managed the planning and implementation of many backburns and planned burns. He was a pioneer in community fire planning and education long before it became more widely adopted.

Marg Turton BSc

Marg Turton is a Blue Mountains based ecologist who has been employed in various roles within the NPWS, Blue Mountains City Council and as an environmental consultant for over 25 years. Marg has written several threatened species recovery plans, has studied the fire ecology of numerous endangered plant species, prepared Fire Management Plans, worked on various post-fire monitoring studies and also worked with the NCC Hotspots program. Marg has an extensive knowledge of the Blue Mountains environment, it’s varied habitats and its wildlife.