Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests

The photo below shows a barely noticeable mound of dirt, covered with grass, next to the Limestone Track near the Tarilta Creek crossing. Passers by might not give it a glance: a pity, because this mound of dirt should be a provocative reminder of DSE’s 2012 ‘ecological’ burn, and of the dangers of large scale burning operations

You could pass by and not notice it: but this mound of dirt is a relic of DSE’s disastrous 2011 ‘ecological’ burn.

The mound of dirt is part of the huge quantity of soil washed off the slopes of the Tarilta valley after the burn off. Tarilta Creek was choked with silt, and some of it ended up choking the Limestone Track bridge underpass:

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At the risk of beating the same old drum on the five per cent burning target practised by the Victorian Government,  we reprint here reports from Tasmania on the island government’s parallel policy. The report is from the Weekly Times of June 14:

‘TASMANIA’S top fire chief has warned the state government its fuel-reduction target has no benefit” for public safety, cannot be delivered with current staff levels and will cause substantial” smoke pollution.

‘Chief fire officer Mike Brown’s confidential advice to the new Hodgman Liberal government reveals serious misgivings at the highest levels about the plan.

‘As promised at the March election, the government is committed to a target burning of 60,000ha each year — at a cost to taxpayers of $28.5 million over four years.

‘However, Mr Brown warns the policy can only easily be achieved by burning remote public land, while the real need is to reduce fuel loads on private land near towns and cities.

‘“Burning only public land will not protect Tasmanian communities (because only) approximately 20 per cent of the urban interface is with public land, the remainder is with private,” Mr Brown advises.

‘“A 60,000 ha target can be achieved easily (by) undertaking remote-area burning, with no benefit to community safety … (We) need to look at policy and/or regulatory instruments around permissions to undertake fuel management on private land.”

‘Mr Brown’s briefing note — Election Commitments Briefing For Incoming Government — advises there are not enough personnel to conduct the scale of burning envisaged.

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