Category Archives: Fire Management

Fire review, but the old order remains for now

Posted on 18 February, 2015 by fobif

The Labor Government is persisting with Coalition policy on fire in the short term. This is confirmed in a statement released yesterday, announcing an independent review of the fuel reduction program. The statement, from the Environment Minister’s office, goes partly … Continue reading →

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Hawkeye program wraps up

Posted on 24 November, 2014 by fobif

The Hawkeye fire research program, established as a response to recommendation 57 of the Bushfires Royal Commission, has now come to an end. It will now ‘transition’ into research programs run by DEPI. It’s not exactly clear what this transition … Continue reading →

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We were wrong!

Posted on 24 November, 2014 by fobif

…And we’re quite relieved that we were. Our report last week about the burning of boronias in the Fryerstown Block 5 management burn has been corrected by Castlemaine Field Naturalists, who have pointed out that the burned area is a … Continue reading →

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Burning boronias

Posted on 26 October, 2014 by fobif

Last week DEPI conducted a management burn in the area designated Fryerstown Block 5, a 44 hectare roughly triangular block between the Campbells Creek Irishtown Road and the Chewton-Vaughan road [see map below]. The fire was designated Asset Protection: the … Continue reading →

Posted in Fire Management, Nature Observations | 1 Comment

Risky business

Posted on 13 October, 2014 by fobif

Strategic bushfire management plan: West Central bushfire risk landscape. DEPI 2014 This document has been anticipated with some interest—as have its companions, the plans for the East Central and Barwon Otways districts. It was launched at last Friday’s Creswick conference … Continue reading →

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Act first, think later

Posted on 13 October, 2014 by fobif

A conference on bushfire management reform held at Creswick on October 10 served to highlight some of the complexities in fire management, and to underline the difference between Government policy and the views of conservationists. The difference centres around whether … Continue reading →

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Fire operations: some answers

Posted on 6 October, 2014 by fobif

FOBIF has received a response to its submission on the Fire Operations Plan from Andrew Koren, DEPI program manager for planned burning in this region. In brief, DEPI has responded to our concerns with the following points: 1. The Government … Continue reading →

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Risk management vs random burning: a reply

Posted on 30 September, 2014 by fobif

We’ve received a prompt reply to the questions we put to the Environment and the Bushfire Response Ministers yesterday. Readers will remember that our question was simple: –the government is trumpeting its achievement in setting out to burn 5% of … Continue reading →

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Yee–Haah! On the runaway horse!

Posted on 29 September, 2014 by fobif

The Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Bushfire Response, Kim Wells, has today issued a press release on the State Government’s achievements in planned burning. The release is mainly concerned with publicising increased cooperation between DEPI and the CFA; it … Continue reading →

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What are our ‘high value ecosystem areas’ [and how do we know?]

Posted on 1 September, 2014 by fobif

On Monday August 25 the Department of the Environment and Primary Industries hosted a meeting with representatives of enviro groups from the West Central Risk Management area. The point of the meeting was to discuss current and future fire planning … Continue reading →

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