Early in 2021 the Rural Fire Service (RFS) responded to a recommendation (no. 47) from the NSW Bushfire Inquiry and introduced a new protocol for backburning. In a more recent advance, also related to to a NSW Bushfire Inquiry recommendation, a new Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDR) has been developed nationally and will be rolled out in NSW from September 2022.
Category Archives: Commentary
No bushfire changes from coronial review
The report of the NSW Parliament’s Select Committee on the coronial jurisdiction in NSW was tabled on 29 April 2022. The committee carried out a review of the existing coronial system. Coronial legislation requires the coroner to investigate “certain deaths” as well as “fires and explosions that destroy or damage property”. When deaths occur in bushfires, such as in the Black Summer fires of 2019-2020, these purposes overlap.
Boost to National Park fire management
In another 12 June pre-budget announcement (see previous post), and in further response to the NSW Bushfire Inquiry, the NSW Government committed $598 million over 10 years to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to “bolster firefighting capabilities, improve radio networks and enhance the protection of significant habitats like the world-famous Wollemi pines”.
Bushfire budget announcement
The 2022-23 budget will commit another $315.2 million over the next four years to “complete
the recommendations of the NSW Bushfire Inquiry”.
Coronial Jurisdiction in NSW being reviewed
A Select Committee of the NSW Parliament is carrying out a review of the existing coronial system, which holds inquiries into unexplained deaths, damaging bushfires and some other matters.
Book review: “Currowan”
Sometimes a popular publication might have more impact than formal inquiries. IBG member Lyndsay Holme has reviewed an important book for our blog: Bronwyn Adcock’s “Currowan: The story of a fire and a community during Australia’s worst summer” (Black Inc Books, 2021).
Forests, fires & carbon
The United Nations has analysed 257 World Heritage forest sites (some in Australasia) and found that overall this forest network has played a vital role in mitigating climate change, by absorbing 190 million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere every year.
Rural boundary clearing
The NSW Government has released the Rural Boundary Clearing Code which allows rural landholders to clear vegetation up to 25 metres inside their property boundaries for the purpose of bushfire protection.
Assets of Intergenerational Significance
On National Threatened Species Day (7 September) the NSW Government announced a ‘zero extinction’ target for NSW national parks, along with 221 ‘assets of intergenerational significance’ (AIS) covering the locations of 92 threatened species across 110 conservation reserves1. These follow the initial declaration under new legislation of the iconic Wollemi Pine as the first AISContinue reading “Assets of Intergenerational Significance”
2nd progress report on NSW Bushfire Inquiry
ecommendations of the NSW Independent Bushfire Inquiry. The second progress report was released by Resilience NSW at the end of August, covering the period April to June 2021.
Independent Bushfire Group 