King Island Wildfire Management Plan February 2009 King Island Wildfire Management Plan–- February 2009 Ii Forward
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King Island Wildfire Management Plan February 2009 King Island Wildfire Management Plan–- February 2009 ii Forward The 2007 Sea Elephant fires on King Island saw the destruction of the majority of the Lavinia State Reserve and considerable damage to private property. The King Island community along with the agencies involved in the fire suppression and community recovery phases of the incident saw the need for the development of a Wildfire Management Plan for King Island. The Plan has been developed on King Island with the community to ensure a degree of ownership in the planning of any future fire fighting events. The much appreciated co-operation of the Parks and Wildlife Service, Forestry Tasmania, the Tasmanian Fire Service, King Island Council, King Island NRM Group Inc, SES, local service organizations and the King Island community has enabled the formulation of this plan. The Committee acknowledges the administrative support provided by the King Island Council in the development of this Plan. Without everyone working together co-operatively it would have been impossible to have a plan that is of value and functional for King Island. The development of working relationships is a significant outcome that has been achieved through completing The Plan. The King Island Wildfire Management Plan has had two main aims. Firstly to provide a fire management plan which gives direction to local and ‘imported’ fire control agencies and secondly to draw up an agenda of proposed fire control/access trails Island wide. It gives me great pleasure on behalf of the King Island Fire Management Area Committee to present the way forward for the future of wildfire management for King Island in this plan. Rod McGarvie Chairman: King Island Fire Management Area Committee King Island Wildfire Management Plan–- February 2009 iii King Island Fire Management Area Committee Name Position Organisation Rod McGarvie Group Officer Tasmania Fire Service – King Island (chairperson) Brigades David Robertson Brigade Chief Tasmania Fire Service – North King (resigned November 2007) Island Brigade Boyd Hoare Brigade Chief Tasmania Fire Service – North King (commenced November Island Brigade 2007) Greg Duckett Brigade Chief Tasmania Fire Service – Grassy Brigade Jan Van Ruiswyk Brigade Chief Tasmania Fire Service – Naracoopa Brigade Victor Cook Brigade Chief Tasmania Fire Service – Currie Brigade Chris Irvine Fire Management Officer Parks and Wildlife Service Rob Deverell District Officer Tasmania Fire Service Scott White Safety and Environment Officer Forestry Tasmania Andrew Wardlaw General Manager King Island Council Debbi Delaney King Island Fire Recovery King Island Natural Resource Project Officer Management Group Inc. Clr Vernon Philbey Representative King Island Council Clr John Brewster Representative King Island Council King Island Wildfire Management Plan–- February 2009 iv Table of Contents Risk Evaluation Criteria ............................................................................................................ 1 Terms used in this Document .................................................................................................... 2 1. Context of the King Island Wildfire Management Plan ........................................................ 3 Scope ..................................................................................................................................... 6 2. Treatment Strategies and Implementation Timeframes ......................................................... 9 Register of Treatment Strategies and Implementation Timeframes ...................................... 9 Summary of King Island Firetrails and Identified Water Points ......................................... 28 Island Wide Treatment Options ........................................................................................... 29 Trigger Points ...................................................................................................................... 33 3. Appendices .......................................................................................................................... 34 3a. Risk Identification and Analysis ........................................................................................ 34 Risk Statements ................................................................................................................... 34 Qualitative Measures Of Consequence ................................................................................ 36 Qualitative Measures Of Likelihood ................................................................................... 37 Qualitative Risk Analysis Matrix – Level Of Risk .............................................................. 37 Risk Analysis and Existing Controls ................................................................................... 38 3b. Identification and Evaluation of Treatment Options ......................................................... 48 Criteria For Evaluating Risk Treatment Options ................................................................. 48 Identification and Evaluation of Treatment Options ........................................................... 49 References ............................................................................................................................... 63 King Island Wildfire Management Plan–- February 2009 v Risk Evaluation Criteria All risks identified associated with Wildfires on King Island have been evaluated against the following criteria: Criteria No. 1 Any loss of life resulting from fire or associated activities is unacceptable Criteria No. 2 Any serious or preventable injuries resulting from fire or associated activities is unacceptable Criteria No. 3 Any fire that will affect people’s health and well-being is unacceptable. Criteria No. 4 Any damage caused by fire that could reasonably be prevented by adopting appropriate fire safety measures is unacceptable. Criteria No. 5 Any damage to the natural and cultural environment caused by fire or associated activities that could reasonably be prevented is unacceptable. Criteria No. 6 Any development or activity that fails to manage its fire risk is unacceptable. King Island Wildfire Management Plan–- February 2009 1 Terms used in this Document “Bushfire Plan” or “King Island Community DPIW: Department of Primary “Individual Bushfire Plan” is Recovery Team” is a group Industry and Water a written plan prepared and that provides recovery co- implemented by individual ordination assistance upon the GIS: Geographic Information households, which sets out request of the Municipal System preparation and response Emergency Management KIC: King Island Council strategies to wildfire for the Coordinator or SES Regional household. Manager. KIFMAC: King Island Fire Management Area Committee “Fire Service Regulations” is a set of rules for the TFS: Tasmania Fire Service management of wildfires and “King Island Emergency Management Committee” is PWS: Parks and Wildlife personnel undertaking fire Service – Tasmania suppression activities. the group responsible for planning, organisation, IMT: Incident Management “A Firebreak” is not designed coordination and Team to stop the spread of a fire but implementation of the King is designed to be used as a fire Island Emergency Management TFGA: Tasmania Farmers and control line during fire Plan. Graziers Association suppression operations by providing fire-fighters with an “King Island Emergency area of low fuels that reduces a Management Plan.” is a plan fire's intensity to a level that prepared for the King Island enables direct attack on the fire municipal area to detail by crews or enables an indirect emergency management attack by back burning. A measures within the Firebreak is usually constructed municipality. in conjunction with a Firetrail that provides access but a “TFS Structural Survival Firetrail may not always be Assessment” is an appraisal of constructed in conjunction with a properties’ wildfire a Firebreak. preparedness undertaken by the “Firetrail” can be considered TFS. The aim of the to be a track created primarily assessment is to work with to provide access for fire property owners to improve fighting vehicles and awareness of fire readiness and equipment for fire management how this can be achieved. and suppression operations. A “Sector Commander” is the Firetrail may not necessarily be responsible officer for used as a control line. managing fire control activities “Incident Controller” is the within a particular sector or responsible officer for zone of a wildfire. managing an emergency “Tactical Response Guide” incident (fire). are guides yet to be developed for high to extreme risk “King Island Fire Response Guidelines” is a set of locations / scenarios, which guidelines for incident include priorities for protection management on King Island and recommended response yet to be developed and strategies. integrated into fire “The Plan” is the King Island management protocols for Wildfire Management Plan Incident Controllers and their staff. King Island Wildfire Management Plan–- February 2009 2 1. Context of the King Island Wildfire Management Plan King Island lies at the western entrance to Bass Strait, midway between Victoria and mainland Tasmania at 144° longitude and 40° latitude. This places the Island in the path of the “Roaring Forties”, a strong prevailing westerly wind that reaches over 100km per hour. Historically the climate has been a mild maritime one