Greens out of step with community on Fuel Reduction

The Hodgman Liberal Government is protecting the Tasmanian community by making a record $28.5 million investment in fuel reduction burning.

The Government’s investment has enabled the expert Fuel Reduction Unit to ramp burning up significantly from what has been undertaken in recent years in order to better protect the community from life and property threatening bushfires.

Greens Leader Kim Booth should immediately apologise to the experts in the Tasmanian Fire Service, Parks and Wildlife Service and State Fire Management Council for his disgraceful slur last night.

Rather than welcome the Government’s important initiative, he said about the Fuel Reduction Strategy:

“What we don’t want is simply some sort pyromaniacs rushing around lighting fires all over the place without a strategic approach to it.”*

“I’d like to see the evidence that shows that there’s been a proper scientific assessment based on the risk that these particular areas posed.” **

The Fuel Reduction Unit is adopting a nation-leading tenure-blind approach to targeting the most strategically important areas, whether it is public or private land. This approach will be based on rigorous science and computer modelling.

There is no excuse for Mr Booth not bothering to inform himself about the science behind the Fuel Reduction Strategy, but there is even less excuse for him to use his ignorance to attempt to undermine a program which is designed to save lives.

Labelling this critical program ‘pyromania’ shows unbelievable contempt by Mr Booth for the community, the experts in the Fuel Reduction Unit, and the science behind our approach.

Once again the Greens are showing themselves completely out of step with community expectations and are putting up false premises in the media to try and undermine support for an important community safety initiative.

His sensationalist, melodramatic claims are completely at odds with the science behind the Fuel Reduction Strategy and the innovative tenure blind approach the Government is taking.

* Kim Booth, Southern Cross News Monday March 24.
* Kim Booth, WIN News Monday March 24
Matthew Groom, Minister for State Growth