Snowy Monaro Bush Fire Management Committee Bush Fire Risk Management Plan Prepared by the Snowy Monaro Bush Fire Management Committee; pursuant to section 52 of the Rural Fires Act, 1997 Glossary Assets: anything valued by the community which includes houses, crops, heritage buildings and places, the environment, businesses, and forests. BRIMS: Bushfire Risk Information System, an integrated web based application for bush fire risk management in New South Wales. Bush Fire: a general term used to describe fire in vegetation, includes grass fire. Bush Fire Hazard : the potential severity of a bush fire, which is determined by fuel load, fuel arrangement and topography under a given climatic condition. Bush Fire Risk: the chance of a bush fire igniting, spreading and causing damage to the community or the assets they value. Bush Fire Risk Management : a systematic process that provides a range of treatments which contribute to the well being of communities and the environment, which suffer the adverse effects of wildfire/bushfire. Bush Fire Threat : potential bush fire exposure of an asset due to the proximity of a hazard. Consequence: outcome or impact of a bush fire event. Fire Fighting Author ities: the NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW Fire Brigades, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Forests NSW. Likelihood: the chance of a bush fire igniting and spreading. Major Bush Fire : A bush fire which requires the attendance of multiple brigades, or causes damage to property or injury to one or more persons. Precinct: geographic area determined by the Bush Fire Management Committee which is used to provide a suitable area and scale for community participation and mapping purposes. Resilience: the capacity of an asset to recover from the impacts of a bush fire. Risk Acceptance: an informed decision to accept the consequences and the likelihood of a particular. Risk Analysis: a systematic process to understand the nature of and to deduce the level of risk. Page 3 of 39 Risk Assessment: the overall process of risk identification, risk analysis and risk evaluation. Risk Identification: the process of determining what, where, when, why, and how something could happen. Risk Treatment: the process of selection and implementation of measures to modify risk. Vulnerability: the susceptibility of an asset to the impacts of bush fire. Abbreviations APZ: Asset Protection Zone BFCC: Bush Fire Coordinating Committee BFMC: Bush Fire Management Committee BFRMP: Bush Fire Risk Management Plan BRIMS: Bushfire Risk Information Management System ESD: Ecologically Sustainable Development LEP: Local Environment Plan LGA: Local Government Area LMZ: Land Management Zone NPWS: National Parks and Wildlife Service RFS: Rural Fire Service SFAZ: Strategic Fire Advantage Zone SFP: Special Fire Protection Page 4 of 39 Table of Contents Glossary 3 Chapter 1. Introduction 7 1.1 Background 7 1.2 Aim and Objectives 8 1.3 Description of the Snowy Monaro BFMC area 8 1.3.1 Location and land tenure 8 1.3.2 Climate and bush fire season 8 1.3.3 Population (and demographic information) 9 1.3.4 History of bush fire frequency and ignition cause 9 . Lightning Strikes 9 . Escapes from legal and illegal burning 9 Chapter 2. Identifying and assessing the bush fire risk 10 2.1 Process 10 2.2 Communication and consultation 10 2.3 Identifying the bush fire risk 10 2.3.1 Assets 11 2.3.2 Assessing the bush fire risk - consequence 13 2.3.3 Assessing the bush fire risk - likelihood 14 2.3.4 Identifying the level of risk 14 2.3.5 Evaluating the bush fire risk 14 2.3.6 Prioritising treatments 14 2.3.7 Risk acceptability 14 Chapter 3. Treating the risk 15 3.1 Treatments 15 3.1.1 Asset specific treatments 15 3.1.2 BFMC wide treatments 16 3.1.3 Annual works programs 17 3.2 Bush Fire Management Zones 17 3.3 Fire thresholds 21 3.4 Implementation 22 Chapter 4. Performance monitoring and reviewing 23 4.1 Review 23 4.2 Monitoring 23 4.3 Reporting 23 4.4 Performance Indicators 23 Appendix 1 Communications Strategy 24 Appendix 2.1 Assets Register – Extreme to High 33 Appendix 2.2 Assets Register – Moderate to Low 35 Appendix 3 Treatment Register 39 Page 5 of 39 Appendix 4 Maps – 1-19 Map 1 – Jerangle – Peak View Precinct Map 2 – Nimmitabel Precinct Map 3 – Numeralla Precinct Map 4 – Shannons Flat Precinct Map 5 – Colinton – Bredbo Precinct Map 6 – Smiths Road – Michelago – Anembo Precinct Map 7 – Cooma Precinct Map 8 – Dry Plains Precinct Map 9 – Ingebyra Precinct Map 10 – Rocky Plain Precinct Map 11 – Adaminaby Precinct Map 12 – Berridale Precinct Map 13 – Brothers Precinct Map 14 – Dalgety – Numbla Vale Precinct Map 15 – Wollondibby – Jindabyne Precinct Map 16 – Vegetation Categories Map 17 – Fire Threshold Map 18 – Fire Frequency Map 19 – Time Since Fire List of Tables Table 1.1 Land tenure 8 Table 3.1 Asset specific treatments used in the Snowy Monaro BFMC area. 15 Table 3.2 Bush Fire Management Zones: Purpose, objectives and characteristics 19 List of Figures Figure 2.1 Overview of the risk assessment process 10 Page 6 of 39 Chapter 1. Introduction 1.1 Background Under the Rural Fires Act 1997 the Bush Fire Coordinating Committee (BFCC) must constitute a Bush Fire Management Committee (BFMC) for each area in the State which is subject to the risk of bush fires. Each BFMC is required to prepare and submit to the BFCC a Bush Fire Risk Management Plan (BFRMP). A BFRMP is a strategic document which identifies community assets at risk and sets out a five year program of co-ordinated multi-agency treatments to reduce the risk of bush fire to these assets. Treatments may include such things as hazard reduction burning, grazing, community education, fire trail maintenance and establishing community firewise groups. All owners and land managers (both public and private) have a duty to prevent the occurrence and spread of bush fires on or from their land. This responsibility is legislated under section 63 of the Rural Fires Act 1997. Annual programs to implement the treatments identified in this plan will be undertaken by the relevant land managers and fire fighting authorities. In exercising its functions under the Rural Fires Act 1997, including the preparation of a bush fire risk management plan, the Snowy Monaro BFMC is required to have regard to the principles of ecologically sustainable development (ESD). These principles include the precautionary principle in relation to the interpretation of scientific advice, inter-generational equity which seeks to ensure future generations have access to natural resources, the conservation of biodiversity and ecological processes and the recognition of the value of natural resources. This document and the accompanying 18 maps together form the Bush Fire Risk Management Plan for the Snowy Monaro BFMC area. This BFRMP has been prepared by the Snowy Monaro BFMC and covers both public and private lands. This BFRMP must be reviewed and updated within each successive five year period from the constitution of the BFMC. Page 7 of 39 1.2 Aim and Objectives The aim of this BFRMP is to: minimise the risk of adverse impact of bush fires on life, property and the environment. The objectives of this BFRMP are to: reduce the number of human-induced bush fire ignitions that cause damage to life, property and the environment; manage fuel to reduce the rate of spread and intensity of bush fires, while minimising environmental/ecological impacts; reduce the community’s vulnerability to bush fires by improving its preparedness; and effectively contain fires with a potential to cause damage to life, property and the environment. 1.3 Description of the Snowy Monaro BFMC area 1.3.1 Location and land tenure The Snowy Monaro BFMC area is located in south eastern New South Wales and includes the local government areas of Cooma-Monaro and Snowy River Shires. The area covered by the Snowy Monaro BFMC area is 1 125 900 hectares and includes the following land tenure: Table 1.1 Land tenure Land Manager* % of BFMC area National Parks & Wildlife Service 21.1% (237,586ha) Forests NSW 2.5% (28,150ha) Department of Lands .5% (5,630ha) Local Government .5% (5,630ha) Private 74.7% (844, 00ha) All other .4% (4,504ha) 1.3.2 Climate and bush fire season The typical / average climate in the Snowy Monaro BFMC area is cool temperate. Winters are long and cold, with temperatures regularly falling below freezing and periodic snowfalls occurring through the region. Due to the Monaro’s location (lee of the Snowy Mountains) a rain shadow effect is experienced throughout the region, creating low and irregular annual rainfall. Rain falls predominantly in summer and winter, with a slight summer dominance. The bush fire season generally runs from October to March. In some years, good summer rains, drier than normal autumn conditions, severe winter frosts and gale force winds have created a further fire danger period throughout the winter months. Page 8 of 39 Prevailing weather conditions associated with the bush fire season in the Snowy Monaro BFMC area are north-westerly or south-westerly winds accompanied by high daytime temperatures and low relative humidity. Afternoon wind changes often hamper fire-fighting efforts. There are also frequently dry lightning storms occurring during the bush fire season. 1.3.3 Population (and demographic information) The population of the Snowy Monaro BFMC area is approximately 16 912 people. The major population centres are Cooma and Jindabyne. The following issues have been identified within the Snowy Monaro BFMC area as potentially impacting on the ability of certain sections of the community to prepare themselves for bush fire: seasonal population changes e.g.