Politics
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Drive ABC
In this instalment, Lecturer in Politics in the School of Government at the University of Tasmania, Dr Tony McCall joined Hilary Burden to discuss David Bartlett’s first 100 days as Premier, and the re-branding exercise by Forestry Tasmania.
The Shape We’re in – Dr Tony McCall
http://blogs.abc.net.au/tasmania/2008/09/the-shape-were.html?program=northern_tasmania_drive
02/09/2008 11minutes, 49 sec.
Forestry Tasmania’s latest make over, re-branding 7 minutes,
This is one of our regular Drive features where we invite one of the state’s analysts, commentators or journalists to reflect upon some of the issues in Tasmania at the moment.
In this instalment, Lecturer in Politics in the School of Government at the University of Tasmania, Dr Tony McCall joined Hilary Burden to discuss David Bartlett’s first 100 days as Premier, and the re-branding exercise by Forestry Tasmania.
Burning to conserve the things we value?
02/09/2008
Each year across Australia bushfires are becoming more commonplace.
One tool often used to minimise the chance of rogue fires is a method called reduction burns or prescribed burning.
And while this method is often the preferred management tool for fire management, researchers have found very little research into whether it is really effective as a control to prevent wildfires, and as a consequence whether it is effective in enhancing and protecting the ecology of the area.
Dr Trent Penman & Dr Fiona Christie have been investigating the research data and while it is not conclusive that prescribed burning is the panacea, more data is needed.
The frequent burning may have some very detrimental impacts on biodiversity, particularly if burning is carried out too regularly could have a negative impact on flora.
Nevertheless Dr Penman & Dr Christie believe many Australian states need to develop ecologically-based fire management strategies to better manage the fire risk.
Trent & Fiona told Hilary Burden on the ABC Northern Tasmania Drive program, land management programs need to make the hard decision and develop realistic fire management plans…. their objectives must have measurable outcomes … and not just “airy fairy” motherhood statements.
Dr Trent Penman is a fire ecology researcher with Forests NSW – Dr Fiona Christie is a research fellow in the School of Forest & Ecosystem Science University of Melbourne.
Further stories from the International Bushfire Research Conference in Adelaide can be found at
www.abc.net.au/bushfireconference