Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests

Forest Fire Management burned a biodiversity rich section of the Maldon Historic Reserve, near the Railway Track, on May 9. Conditions were described as ‘ideal’, with no wind, and appropriate moisture levels.

Readers will remember we have reported on this fire proposal before—see our posts with links to a map of the site here

The Department’s aim was a low intensity burn to remove 4cm of ground fuel and prevent elevated bushfire hazards. A preburn fire was lit to create smoke so that small animals could get away. Three exclusion zones were created to protect nominated plant species.

In the burn zone: no large habitat trees seem to have been destroyed; but in an area dominated by spindly regrowth eucalypts, the loss of even medium sized trees is to be regretted.

Local environmentalists met with fire management both before and after ignition, and a further onsite meeting is planned for about 8 weeks time.

The fire was described by fire officers as low intensity; staff and students of Melbourne University had placed probes around the site to measure heat levels. In fact, the fire intensity varied widely, with some areas severely burned and others barely touched, achieving a mosaic effect around the site….but managers are considering returning to the untouched areas for another go.

There’s no doubt that managers are making serious efforts to reconcile environmental concerns and current ideas about fire danger. In the present case, the exercise seems to have been pulled off without bringing down any large habitat trees, a significant improvement on past exercises; yet a number of medium sized trees was destroyed—a regrettable result. Though this area is rich in understorey and ground cover plants and orchids, the tree cover is largely spindly regrowth eucalypts, and can ill afford loss of trees of good size.

As we’ve said before, moreover, there’s an apparently irreconcilable clash of views when it comes to that 4 cm of leaf litter: does it constitute a ‘very high to extreme fuel hazard’ (Fuel Hazard Assessment Guide), or is it a precious environmental asset? According to Arthur Rylah research, ‘litter plays an important role in nutrient cycling, and provides important habitat for invertebrates and small vertebrates. Frequent burning (for example, 3-5 year intervals) will disrupt natural processes in the short-term and may eventually lead to a depletion of soil nutrients and loss of habitat.’

Exercises like the one under discussion are in fact experiments. Part of their value depends on what kind of monitoring and research is done before and after them—and as we know, there’s little or no credible research arising from many such burns. As the Auditor General put it in 2021, ‘DELWP cannot demonstrate if, or how well, it is halting further decline in Victoria’s threatened species populations.’

We are now entering a critical window to ensure the State Government keeps its promise to legislate the Central West Parks — and your support is vital. 

The VNPA has set up a template letter and you can add your extra bit demanding that Forest Fire Management Victoria halt this environmental destruction in Wombat State Forest.

VFA Hot Burns Update

FFMV Cowboys Lose Control — Twice — at Hepburn

In a spectacular display of mismanagement, fire authorities have confirmed they lost control of a 200-hectare planned burn at Hepburn Regional Park on Friday 11 April — and then managed to lose it again on Saturday 12 April.

After an all-hands emergency effort by CFA crews, helicopters, and planes finally brought Friday’s fire under control, FFMV according to CFA personnel, decided to “put more fire into it” the next day. As a result (unsurprisingly), the blaze escaped again, ballooning out to 300 hectares by Sunday 13 April.

Over 250 firefighters were thrown into the battle near Old Tom Track, south-west of Daylesford, once again cleaning up the mess left by FFMV’s cowboy operation.

As a worried local, impacted by the fire told us,  “28 degrees in a sloping forest that’s ultra bone dry. What could possibly go wrong?”

This isn’t just bad luck — it’s a clear case of reckless fire management putting public safety at risk and burning precious bushland.

(Supplied: Maree Smith)

VFA Chuffed Fundraiser 

We’re Over Halfway There – Thanks to You! Let’s Keep the Momentum Going!

We’re past the halfway mark — your support has been amazing! Now let’s smash our goal.The science is clear: planned burns don’t stop wildfires — they can make forests more flammable.

We’re fighting for a safer, smarter approach to bushfire risk. Help us push the Victorian Government to act!

Visit our STOP PLANNED BURNS page — and chip in if you can!

We’re urging the government to increase funding for rapid detection and response capability, so that small fires are put out before they become large. This is already an effective strategy. Over this summer, more than 9 in 10 Victoria’s fires were contained as a result of the first attempt at suppression. And we can do this better.

Sign the Petition: Stop Broadscale Burning of Native Forests

Every year, thousands of hectares of precious bushland are deliberately burned — far from towns — causing massive CO₂ emissions, killing wildlife, poisoning waterways, and damaging human health.

Worse still, science shows these burns don’t reduce bushfire risk — they can actually make forests more flammable for decades to come.

Mature, healthy forests are naturally more fire-resistant. It’s time to protect them — and us — by stopping broadscale burning and investing in smarter, safer fire management.

Add your name to the petition calling on Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos to end this destructive practice. And please share!