Category Archives: Fire Management

Fire: what the research is saying…and not saying–yet

FOBIF has just received the Box-Ironbark Experimental Mosaic Burning Project_Newsletter 5, on research conducted in the Heathcote-Rushworth forest. The newsletter documents important features of forest structure, like the presence of large trees, and the quality of ground cover. It’s a … Continue reading

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How well is ‘fuel reduction’ working?

It’s been a good Spring for weeds, and one of those doing best around our district is Wild Oats, which is flourishing on roadsides and street reserves, along Forest Creek, and in some bush areas. Interestingly, wild oats has sprung … Continue reading

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Bushfires: the why and the wherefore

The bushfire season is well and truly on for Australia,  as witness the destructive fires raging in NSW. The fires will no doubt be followed by discussion about prevention of such disasters. Readers interested in the subject could do worse … Continue reading

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DEPI responds to fire submission

We have received a detailed response from the Department of the Environment to our submission on the 2012 Fire Operations Plan. The response can be seen here. DEPI’s letter clarifies a number of questions we posed in our submission, but … Continue reading

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Risky business: suggesting a lot, saying very little

Participants in the July Bendigo fire briefing were told of a new approach to fire management, called the Bushfire risk landscapes approach. As we reported at the time, big claims were made for the new approach to fuel reduction, and … Continue reading

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Fire operations: what we want is clarity

The planned burning season is on us. As we have regularly reported, FOBIF is not opposed to sensible, targeted fuel management. Our submission to the current Fire Operations Plan is set out below. Essentially, it asks that DEPI follow the … Continue reading

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The Monitor reports: targeting the hectare target

The Royal Commission Bushfire Implementation Monitor [RCBIM], Neil Comrie, has released his annual report. It can be seen online here. Press accounts of the report seem to have concentrated on the Monitor’s criticism of the failure to build bushfire refuges. … Continue reading

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The Monitor reports: How’s the research and reporting going?

On the subject of monitoring and reporting, almost everything in the Monitor’s Report referred to developing strategies, frameworks, ‘additional measures’ to be implemented: to things that are going to be done, not things that have been done. Meanwhile, the burning … Continue reading

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The Monitor reports: thinking about maybe changing tack…

 On the subject of the hectare target, Mr Comrie appears to accept the Government’s view that all is going well in the development of an informed approach to fuel management: but most of what he cites as evidence for this … Continue reading

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Modelling: a glamorous new prospect? Don’t get excited yet.

Participants at the July 15 Bendigo information session on the Fire Operations Plan were briefed on the ‘Risk Landscapes’ project. This consists of running models of different fire scenarios and fuel reduction exercises through a computer to see how they … Continue reading

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