2010‐2011 2011‐2012 2012‐2013 APPROVED East Gippsland Area Office FIRE OPERATIONS PLAN 574 Main St BAIRNSDALE VIC 3875 Phone No. 03 5152 0600 Fax No. 03 5152 6865 EAST GIPPSLAND AREA [email protected] TABLE OF CONTENTS The location and boundaries of proposed planned burn/worksites shown on the attached maps are only LAND AND FIRE AREA MANAGER’S FOREWORD 1 approximate and indicative. The precise boundary of any planned burn will be identified on site by DSE before operations begin. EAST GIPPSLAND FIRE OPERATIONS PLAN 1 SUMMARY OF AREA ACTIVITIES ‐ 2009/10 2 PREPARATION OF A FIRE OPERATIONS PLAN 3 SCHEDULE 1: PLANNED BURNS 4 Proposed Planned Burn 2010/11 4 Proposed Planned Burn 2011/12 13 Proposed Planned Burn 2012/13 19 SCHEDULE 2: LANDSCAPE MOSAIC BURNS 27 Published by the Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment SCHEDULE 3: STRATEGIC FUELBREAKS 29 Melbourne, October 2010 © The State of Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment 2010 SCHEDULE 4: NON‐BURNING FUEL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM 30 This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. SCHEDULE 5: FIRE ACCESS ROAD WORKS 33 Authorised by the Victorian Government, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne. ISBN 978‐1‐74242‐627‐3 (print) SCHEDULE 6: FIRE INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT 34 ISBN 978‐1‐74242‐895‐6 (online) For more information contact the DSE Customer Service Centre 136 186. Disclaimer This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. www.dse.vic.gov.au Land and Fire Area Manager’s Foreword East Gippsland Fire Operations Plan During an average summer, around six hundred bushfires occur on public land across This document contains the fire prevention and preparedness works to be delivered Victoria. As seen over the past decade, intense bushfires across the landscape can for the period 2010/11 to 2012/13 within the East Gippsland Area. have huge impacts on the environment (plants and animals) and be devastating to This Plan covers all Public land including all national parks, State parks and regional communities across Victoria. parks and all State forests. Numerous other small reserves and Crown land are also To better manage the risk of bushfire, the Department of Sustainability and included. Environment (DSE) and Parks Victoria undertake fire prevention activities, such as The area covered by the East Gippsland Area is shown in Figure 1, and is planned burning, to help reduce the occurrence and impact of devastating fires such approximately 2.3 million hectares of public land. as those experienced in recent summers. The Plan is prepared, and will be implemented, in accordance with the Code of DSE and Parks Victoria also use planned fire for ecological purposes. Many of Practice for Fire Management on Public Land, the Fire Operations Planning Manual Victoria’s plants and animals have evolved to survive fire events, and are reliant on 2.1 and other relevant DSE Instructions, Manuals and Guidelines. bushfire to regenerate and maintain their health. In particular, biodiversity is dependent on appropriate fire regimes (fire intensity, frequency, season, extent and It delivers the strategy outlined in the Gippsland Fire Protection Plan 1999. type). It should be noted that burns associated with logging regeneration and small heap Each year, the DSE prepares Fire Operations Plans for Public land in Victoria. These burn offs are not included in the Fire Operation Planning process. The locations of Plans outline proposed fuel management and ecological burns, and other fire strategic fuelbreaks are also included for information only. These activities are protection and preparedness works for public land managed by DSE and Parks approved via other DSE and Parks Victoria processes. Victoria. Figure 1: East Gippsland Area map The three‐year rolling Plans contain: • A list and map(s) of proposed planned burns; • Details of fire preparedness works, such as the construction and maintenance of strategic fuel and fire breaks, mechanical fuel management works planned for the immediate twelve‐month period; and • A summary of other fire preparedness and prevention‐related works such as maintenance of fire towers or helipads, training and education and enforcement activities. A Fire Operations Plan is prepared for the East Gippsland Area in consultation with communities, local councils, Parks Victoria, CFA and technical specialists within DSE. I encourage your input into this Fire Operations Plan. David Tainsh East Gippsland Land and Fire Area Approved 2010/11 – 2012/13 East Gippsland Fire Operations Plan ‐ 1 - Summary of Area Activities ‐ 2009/10 Viewing the Fire Operations Plan Bushfires – 2009/10 Office locations for viewing the Plan: East Gippsland Area attended 137 fires in 2009/10 burning 18,741.4ha; the largest of The Plan can be viewed during normal business hours at the following locations: which was 6694ha in the Orbost District. Location Address 81% of all fires this year were brought under control before they reached a size of Bairnsdale DSE Office 574 Main St, Bairnsdale five hectares, which is a good measure of the success of first attack efforts under Nowa Nowa DSE Office 5 Forest Rd, Nowa Nowa relentless and very trying conditions. Heyfield DSE Office 1 Licola Rd, Heyfield Planned burning achievements – 2009/10 Swifts Creek DSE Office McMillans Ave, Swifts Creek Starting in Spring 2009 and continuing into Autumn and Winter 2010 East Gippsland Orbost DSE Office 171‐173 Nicholson St, Orbost treated 51,439ha of land through fuel reduction and ecological burning. This Cann River DSE Office Princes Hwy, Cann River including the continuation of four Landscape Mosaic Burns. Bendoc DSE Office 2 Nichol St, Bendoc Viewing the Plan online: You can also view proposed planned burns in the Plan online through: • An online interactive map. Go to DSE’s website at www.dse.vic.gov.au, select Interactive Maps then select Fireplan. • Downloadable maps and planned burn lists at www.dse.vic.gov.au/burns, select Fire Operations Plans then select View Proposed Plans. Area Contact Details All comments and suggestions about the Plan should be sent in writing, using the FOP Feedback form, to: Fire Prevention Coordinator 574 Main St Bairnsdale VIC 3875 Comments may also be sent by email to [email protected]. Approved 2010/11 – 2012/13 East Gippsland Fire Operations Plan ‐ 2 ‐ Preparation of a Fire Operations Plan The ability to carry out burns is dependent on seasonal Burn Number and Name / Road Name / Address – an The development of a District Fire Operations Plan and local weather conditions. To allow for this, identifier for each burn or planned work site. involves the nomination of planned burns and other planned burns from the second and third years of the works by DSE, Parks Victoria and other interested Plan are considered as contingencies for the first year. Burn Type – indicates the purpose of the burn stakeholders. This means that a second or third year burn may be including fuel reduction burn (FRB), ecological burn brought forward to the current year to replace a burn (ECO) or forest regeneration (REG). Development of the Plan considers: Distance – the maximum length of the work site planned for the first year. measured in kilometres (km), including areas • relevant legislation and Departmental policies specifically excluded from disturbance. relating to environmental and cultural heritage How to read this document Firebreak – any natural or constructed discontinuity in protection, and emergency management; fuel that may be used to segregate, stop or control • various Departmental fire instructions and The Fire Operation Plan consists of a number of the spread of a bushfire, or to provide a fire control guidelines, particularly the Fire Operations schedules and maps. line from which to suppress a fire. Planning Manual 2.1; Schedule 1 lists planned fuel reduction, ecological and Fuel Management Zone (FMZ) – an area of land upon • relevant Fire Protection/Fire Management Plans; other planned burns. which fire is managed for specific asset, fuel and • the Code of Practice for Timber Production; Schedule 2 lists landscape mosaic burns ecological objectives. • relevant Forest Management and Park Fuelbreak ‐ a strip of land where vegetation has been Schedule 3 provides an overview of strategic Management Plans; removed or modified to reduce the risk of fires fuelbreaks to be constructed or maintained during • biodiversity, soil, water, economic and cultural starting and/or to reduce the rate of spread and 2010/11 and includes details of future fuelbreak values within the District; and intensity of any fire that may occur in or enter the • environmental, cultural or economic strategies locations. treated area. which could be impacted by the Plan’s Schedule 4 lists the non‐burning fuel management Land Manager – the organisation responsible for day‐ implementation. program such as slashing, pruning or mulching. to‐day management of the work site. Where necessary, prescriptions for particular values Schedule5 lists fire access road works. Local Government Area (LGA) – the municipality in maybe specified for each burn, which are which the majority of the work site is located. incorporated into individual Burn Plans. These Schedule 6 lists fire infrastructure works. Location – a bearing and distance of the work site from the nearest major township/locality. prescriptions are reviewed annually, to take into Information provided on schedules account experience from burning operations in the Operation Type – the type of works planned at the previous season. Area – the maximum area of the work site measured site.