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Code Of Practice For Fire Management On Public Land Under Review

The Department of Sustainability & Environment is reviewing the Code of Practice for Fire Management on Public Land and is alerting Victorians that they will be invited to have their say over the future direction of management of fire on public land

By Department of Sustainability and Environment - 13th January 2005 - Back to News

DSE Regional Fire Manager David Tainsh said this was an ideal opportunity for those interested in fire management to be involved.

"The past couple of years have shown that the community have some strong views regarding wildfires and what is done to prevent them and control them," he said. "Now is the opportunity to have a say on those views.

"The Code provides the overall direction for managing fire on public land, and the community has an important role to play in setting this direction."

Mr Tainsh said it was ten years since the Code was written and in that time there had been many changes affecting the way DSE operates, such as shifting demographics and climate change.

He said the latest CSIRO estimates predicted that Victoria’s average temperature would increase by up to five degrees over the next 65 years.

"If this does occur then we can expect more severe summers, longer droughts and less rainfall – all having a major impact on fire management," he said.

"The population in the urban/forest interface has increased dramatically in the past decade and this has changed the focus of forest firefighting and hazard protection. The value of community and economic assets, including water catchments, close to the public land boundary has also risen sharply.

"DSE’s fire management relies on continual improvement and this review is designed to enable DSE to stay ahead of these new challenges in managing public land."

"The review will incorporate up-to-date fire management science, including the latest information on the effects of fire on biodiversity, integration with fire protection on private land, as well as addressing recommendations from the Inquiry into the 2002-2003 Victorian Bushfires conducted by the Victorian Emergency Services Commissioner last year. "

Mr Tainsh said the Code of Practice was a widely respected document and was the first of its kind produced nationally for fire management.

"As well as the community’s input, there will be contributions from academics, the forest industry, key public land stakeholders, other fire agencies and water catchment management authorities," he said.

Formal comment from the community will be sought at two key stages, at the release of a discussion paper in February 2005 and again when a draft "Code" is released in May 2005. Details of how to obtain a copy of these documents will be advertised in major metropolitan and regional Victorian newspapers.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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