Following the summer’s fire disasters, the Inspector General for Emergency Management is running an enquiry into Victoria’s response to bushfire. Among many other things, the enquiry will ‘Review … all opportunities and approaches to bushfire preparedness, including different methods of fuel and land management (for example ‘cool burning’, mechanical slashing, integrated forest management, traditional fire approaches) to protect life and property as well as ecological and cultural values.’ [The theme echoes paragraphs (f) and (g) of the national Royal Commission, which you can find here]
FOBIF will be making a brief submission to the IGEM enquiry, focusing on this theme. We are concerned that crude fuel reduction can become a simplistic response to the fire threat, and even a way of avoiding the more complex challenges of land and fire management.
Submissions are open till April 30.
Individuals and organisations are invited to provide submissions, addressing the Terms of Reference, through:
- emailing a submission to igem@igem.vic.gov.au
- mailing a submission to:
- Inspector-General for Emergency Management GPO Box 4356 Melbourne VIC 3000
- completing an online submission here.