On Saturday 21 September a planned burn for hazard reduction near Oxford Falls on Sydney’s northern beaches escaped containment and spread to a much larger area.
Category Archives: In the news
Shortfall in planned burning
After wet weather in May the Rural Fire Service issued a media statement saying that “thousands of hectares of hazard reduction burns scheduled for autumn have been postponed”.
Fire and old growth vegetation
Two recent media articles have reported on research looking at the role of fire in tall, wet forests, and ‘long unburnt’ vegetation. These reports contribute to the ongoing discussion about the role of fire in the Australian environment and how fire can be managed with biodiversity conservation in mind.
IBG responds to NSW Bushfires Coronial
IBG concludes that while the recommendations are welcome, they are very limited in their scope. This and previous inquiries have only been able to scratch the surface of bushfire operations, and coronial inquiries are poorly suited to finding lessons from how fires are managed.
Cause of fires
The media have been largely silent on the origin of recent fires, but until 26 October when a wave of storms across northern NSW sparked a reported 47 new ignitions, the role of lightning has been minimal. This leaves human causes.
Backburning at the NSW Bushfires Coronial
The final Stage 2 public hearings of the NSW Bushfires Coronial Inquiry took place from 15 to 26 May 2023. The topic, one of several systemic issues identified from the Stage 1 hearings, was Backburning Operations – planning and execution.
NSW Bushfires Coronial Inquiry
The NSW Bushfires Coronial Inquiry is currently conducting a series of inquests and inquiries relating to the 2019-20 NSW bushfire season. The process is explained in the Coroner’s Public Hearings Information Paper.
Problems with Bushfire Recovery grants
The Department of Regional NSW did not effectively administer the Fast-Tracked stream of the BLER.
The administration process lacked integrity, given it did not have sufficiently detailed guidelines and the assessment process for projects lacked transparency and consistency.
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”.
Independent Bushfire Group 