Agencies seek views on bushfire management

LAND and fire management agencies are calling on the public to help inform strategic bushfire management planning for the Barwon South West region.

Strategic bushfire management planning is a multi-agency process that addresses the risks posed by bushfires on both public and private land. It uses the latest science and technology and draws on community values that need protecting.

Planning teams consist of representatives from Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic), Country Fire Authority (CFA), Emergency Management Victoria (EMV) and local governments.

FFMVic Regional Manager Forest and Fire Planning David Rourke said communities across the region have told the agencies that the most important things to protect were human life, private property, the natural environment, human health and well-being, infrastructure, regional economies and Aboriginal cultural heritage.

“We are now seeking community input into a range of bushfire management strategies to help us strike the right balance. This feedback will inform our final bushfire management strategy in the Barwon South West and guide future work such as fuel management, targeted community engagement, and prioritisation of government resources across the region.

“Strategic bushfire management planning uses technology developed in partnership with the University of Melbourne to identify those areas in the Barwon South West region where bushfires pose the greatest risk.

“This modelling approach helps us to direct our bushfire management efforts to areas of greatest risk, including the most effective places to target fuel reduction.”

He said the planning process had previously focussed on bushfire risk across public land.

“This time, we’ve broadened our focus to help determine where fuel management on both public and private land is most effective.

“Planning across all land tenures is a more holistic approach to understanding bushfire risk across the landscape and gives us the opportunity to work with communities and landowners in how we can all work together to reduce bushfire risk.”

The new strategies will guide bushfire risk reduction on both public and private land across the Barwon South West region into the future.

To have your say, head to engage.vic.gov.au/bushfire-planning.