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Have Your Say On Next Season'S Burning Operations

As this year's prescribed burning season draws to a close, the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) is looking ahead to fire plans for next year.

By Department of Sustainability and Environment - 28th June 2004 - Back to News

In coming months DSE will seek input from the community on its Fire Operations Plan to ensure that everyone affected has a chance to comment on proposed fuel reduction and ecological burns across the region.

The Fire Operations Plan works in accordance with the Gippsland Region Fire Protection Plan and contains a schedule and maps of proposed ecological and fuel reduction burning and any new fire preparedness works such as new roads, firetowers and helipads.

The public is encouraged to raise any concerns or comments with DSE’s local Fire Management Officers now, before a formal consultation process begins in September.

Regional Fire Manager, David Tainsh said that anyone is welcome to come and discuss the plan for next season's burns and to offer their thoughts and ideas.

"Department staff will meet with CFA members, municipalities and local community groups and hope to receive valuable feedback on the plans for the coming season," Mr Tainsh said.

"DSE aims to build on last year's increased emphasis on community involvement in the planning process, which saw some successful burns undertaken, particularly where public and private land meet."

"None of this could have happened without the continued support and contribution of the community, in particular CFA volunteers who helped with many of the burning operations across the region."

Mr Tainsh stressed the importance of the community being part of the process and then supporting the final approved plan.

"I hope that all members of the community will accept the agreed priorities and work with us to achieve the program’s goals," he said.

The 2003/04 burning season saw approximately 100 prescribed burning operations undertaken across 22,500 hectares of public land. Operation varied in size from strategic 5-10 hectare asset protection burns, to large 3500 hectare broad scale fuel reduction burns.

The 2003/04 burning season was influenced by the continuation of a long period of drought and continuing hot and dry periods right through to mid April, which peaked with abnormally hot conditions on April 14 and 15 (hottest day/night for 20 years).

Overall the season saw a very successful result in the public/private interface areas, where most of the most important asset protection burns were completed.

Unfortunately the larger scale burns deep in the forest could not be carried out as planned due to the nature of the season.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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