The Liberal Government is committed to a significantly increased and strategic fuel reduction burning program in order to reduce the risk of bushfire to life and property.
We are investing an additional $28.5 million towards the implementation on our Fuel Reduction Program, consistent with our election commitment.
Our Fuel Reduction Program recognises that in order to reduce risk to life and property we must significantly increase the amount of fuel reduction burns, progressively building capacity towards our target of 60,000 hectares per year.
We also recognise the need to undertake burns in a strategic way based on a risk assessment identifying areas of greater risk. Our Fuel Reduction Program is, and always will be, based on the best available advice.
We have established the Fuel Reduction Unit, under the leadership of Ian Sauer, to coordinate the Fuel Reduction Program. This Unit works closely with the heads of fuel reduction in the Parks and Wildlife Service, Tas Fire Service and Forestry Tasmania. The Unit also has access to and coordinates the physical and human resources from those agencies.
Already this year, 14,500 hectares of burns have been carried out throughout Tasmania as part of the Government’s new Fuel Reduction Program. A substantial number of additional burns, covering a potential area of 25,000 hectares are planned to be undertaken this autumn.
This represents a substantial increase in the rate of burning against previous years.
The success of the coordinated burn program this spring means that we are well and truly on track to meet this year’s target of 27,000 hectares by the end of the autumn burning season.
The best available advice is that the greatest reduction in bushfire risk will be achieved by adopting a tenure blind approach and that is what we are doing.
The burns are being strategically located, based on a landscape risk assessment involving a comprehensive understanding of a range of parameters, including fuel load, proximity to population areas and prevailing wind and weather conditions.
The burns will reduce fuel loads in critical areas and this will directly reduce bushfire risk to communities.
We are also making it easier for private land owners to conduct burns on their property. We are doing this by providing education as to the importance of fuel reduction burning, how to plan a burn and how to implement a burn.
We have also reversed the onus of proof so that a landowner no longer has to prove that a burn will not have an environmental impact before obtaining approval to undertake burns on their land.
We understand the critical importance of fuel reduction burning to reduce the risk of bushfire to property and lives. This Government is acting sensibly and responsibly in reducing this risk to Tasmanians.
This stands in contrast to the record of the previous Government which saw the relative risk for bushfire impacting on human settlement areas in Tasmania steadily rise over a 10 year period to reach its highest level at over 90%.
Matthew Groom, Minister for Environment, Parks and Heritage
