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Victoria's Bushfire Strategy A significant Living change in the way government and Victorians with Fire manage fire is required to Victoria’s Bushfire meet future bushfire Strategy challenges Published by the Victorian Government Melbourne, June 2008 © The State of Victoria 2008 This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Authorised by the Victorian Government, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne ISBN 978-1-74208-673-6 (print) ISBN 978-1-74208-674-3 (PDF) For more information contact the Department of Sustainability & Environment 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 PHOTOS: of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your FRONT COVER MAIN PHOTO: DSE; particular purposes and therefore disclaims all OTHER PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT – liability for any error, loss or other consequence DSE; HAYDEN BRIGGS/STATE AIRCRAFT UNIT; which may arise from you relying on any LAUREN BUTTERFIELD/DSE; DSE; KATHRYN LITTLE/DSE; information in this publication. GEOFF DEACON/CFA; RACHEL DAWKIN/DSE; CFA. Accessibility THIS PAGE: MAIN PHOTO – DSE; If you would like to receive this publication in an OTHER PHOTOS LEFt to right – KATHY OVERTON/ accessible format, such as large print or audio, DSE; DSE; DSE. please telephone 138 186, 1800 122 969 (TTY), or email [email protected] Except where noted, CFA photos courtesy of CFA This document is also available in PDF format on photo library and Keith Pakenham (CFA Image the Internet at www.dse.vic.gov.au Specialist). Ministers’ foreword Minister Jennings Minister Cameron Fire is a natural part of our Victoria’s firefighting agencies environment that has shaped our are renowned as world leaders landscape through natural ignition in bushfire response.W ith a (lightning) and indigenous burning measurable increase in the practices for thousands of years. number and severity of bushfires Ironically, however, our success in over the last decade, it is vital that suppressing bushfires has led to we continue to build our response an unnatural build up of fuels and capabilities. deterioration in ecosystem health. To help protect communities, The combination of high fuel loads, drought and climate the first attack capabilities of our fire agencies are critical. change is driving a significant increase in bushfire activity. Having the right mix of aircraft and fit, skilled and Notable recent events include the 2003 Alpine, 2006 experienced firefighters spread across the state is crucial to Grampians and 2006/07 Great Divide fires. providing rapid first attack. Living with fire – Victoria’s Bushfire Strategy emphasises the Highly skilled well-equipped firefighting agencies are importance of preventative actions to meet future bushfire required to respond to bushfires as well as undertake challenges. The increased use of fire as a management tool, planned burning to reduce fuel loads. in particular, planned burning together with engagement Living with Fire will provide additional support to regional of communities in decision making, aims to reduce the and at risk communities, paid and volunteer firefighters to frequency and impact of the large, landscape-scale fires ensure we can safely meet future response and prevention experienced in Victoria over the last decade. challenges in an increasingly active bushfire environment. Bushfires will remain a part ofV ictoria’s summers. Resilient This Strategy will build the capacity of our firefighting communities however, are well informed, well prepared and agencies using shared equipment coordinated through best able to manage this threat. better integrated emergency management systems. Living with fire is Victoria’s first comprehensive bushfire strategy.I t seeks to reduce the threat of bushfires while facilitating resilient communities and improved environmental outcomes. It will enable our bushfire agencies to be better prepared to meet future challenges in a time of climate change. Gavin Jennings MLC Bob Cameron MP Minister for Environment, Climate Change Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Innovation i Executive summary This Strategy provides direction The last decade has seen a dramatic Burning will always be risky. It requires and a framework to: increase in the number, size and significant planning, risk management • Increase the area of Victoria’s severity of bushfires in Victoria. The and operational capability. public and private land treated major fire events of the 2003A lpine In addition considerable community with fire to reduce fuel loads, Fire, 2006 Grampians Fire and the awareness, acknowledgement maintain ecosystems and 2006/07 Great Divide fire are all and sharing of risk are required to manage future bushfire risk; evidence of increasing fire risk.S imilar undertake this activity. • Inform local communities trends are being experienced in engaged in bushfire planning, North America and Europe, including Understanding the risk and ecological preparedness, response and California (2007) and Greece (2007). needs of our environment will recovery; underpin the use of planned fire Bushfires are a vital part of our natural and the treatment of bushfires.A s • Optimise firefighting resources environment, driving regeneration available to undertake planned well as reducing bushfire risk to the and maintaining the health of species community, planned fire is important burning, response and recovery and ecosystems. The combination operations – supported by to sustain ecosystem health and of drought, climate change and resilience. Across the landscape a mix equipment and training; and unnaturally high fuel loads however, • Improve land use planning and of areas burnt with different severity, has created an unprecedented bushfire at different times of the year, and at adaptive management by fire risk. agencies to mitigate risk and different frequencies will provide a facilitate continuous learning. Victoria’s bushfire agencies are very patchiness that provides a healthy successful at first attack firefighting, diversity in our parks and forests while keeping most fires to small sizes and also reducing fuel loads. limiting their impact. An unintended To carry out the burning program consequence of this success is that at the scale necessary will require a large amounts of natural fire (lightning significant investment in trained and initiated fire) has been removed, experienced firefighters across the resulting in a build up of unnaturally Department of Sustainability and high fuel loads. Environment (DSE), its partner agencies To position Victoria to meet future and the Country Fire Authority (CFA). challenges and reduce the threat of This strategy will position Victoria’s bushfire a clear strategy is proposed. bushfire management agencies to A key focus of this strategy is an effectively manage risk in partnership increased planned burning effort in with the community with clear Victoria. direction under six themes. ii PHOTOS: BACKGROUND IMage – GLENN RUDOLPH/DSE; OTHER PHOTOS FROM LEFt to right – NIGEL PETERS/DSE; NIGEL PETERS/DSE; NIGEL PETERS/DSE. Strategic directions Managing the land with fire Workforce/volunteer capability Increase the planned burning Build and maintain a skilled, fit and effort based on ecological and risk experienced firefighting force to management objectives. This will deliver an increased planned burning require building firefighter capability program, meet rising response needs to resource an expanded planned and provide support to volunteers. burning program, including a Planning for protection landscape scale mosaic burning Provide the community and planners program on public land plus support with better risk management and for planned burning on private land. mitigation tools, including the Building community capacity acceleration of the implementation to live with fire of Integrated Fire Management Improve the community’s Planning. understanding of the role of fire in Risk and adaptive management the environment and increase shared Develop a more responsive approach responsibility for risk, prevention and to the management of bushfires preparedness for bushfire. based on continuous learning Enhanced response and recovery and improvement through the Continue to lead the way in fire development of interagency risk response while building on our modelling, statewide scenario recovery efforts. Including: planning and improved ecological • aircraft and rappel crews for rapid research and monitoring. and remote area response; • greater integration across agencies, including shared vehicles and the integrated Emergency Coordination Centre; • road and strategic fuelbreak networks for increased protection and safer working environment for firefighters; • seamless integration and support for recovery from bushfires. PHOTOS: CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFt – DSE; STEVE GRANT/DSE; LARRY OSACHOFF/DSE; CFA. iii Contents Ministers’ foreword i Executive summary ii Context 1 The way forward Managing the land with fire 8 Building community capacity to live with fire 12 Enhanced response & recovery capability 16 Workforce/volunteer capability 20 Planning for protection 24 Risk & adaptive management 28 iv PHOTOS: FROM LEFt to right – Mark UrqUHART/DSE; CFA. Context Fire is a natural part Over the last century, major fire events, Historically, severe bushfire events, while of the Victorian including 1939 Black Friday,
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