The Senate Select Committee on Agricultural and Related Industries The incidence and severity of bushfires across Australia August 2010 © Commonwealth of Australia 2009 ISBN 978-1-74229-349-3 This document was prepared by the Senate Select Committee on Agricultural and Related Industries, and printed by the Senate Printing Unit, Department of the Senate, Parliament House, Canberra. Membership of the committee Members Senator the Hon. Bill Heffernan, Chair New South Wales, LP Senator Kerry O'Brien, Deputy Chair Tasmania, ALP Senator Mary Jo Fisher South Australia, LP Senator Christine Milne (to 26 November 2009) Tasmania, AG Senator Fiona Nash New South Wales, NPA Senator Glenn Sterle Western Australia, ALP Participating members participating in this inquiry Senator Chris Back Western Australia, LP Senator the Hon. Richard Colbeck Tasmania, LP Secretariat Ms Jeanette Radcliffe, Secretary Mr Andrew Bomm, Principal Research Officer Mr Peter Short, Principal Research Officer Ms Trish Carling, Senior Research Officer Ms Lauren McDougall, Executive Assistant Ms Sophia Fernandes, Executive Assistant Ms Maria Sarelas, Executive Assistant PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Ph: 02 6277 3511 Fax: 02 6277 5811 E-mail:
[email protected] Internet: http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/agric_ctte/index.htm iii iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Membership of committee iii List of the committee's recommendations vii Chapter 1- Introduction 1 Conduct of the inquiry 1 Scope and structure of the inquiry 2 Fire in the Australian landscape 3 Bushfire