can we better fire-proof our country towns?
TRANSCRIPT
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CAN WE BETTER FIRE-PROOF
OUR COUNTRY TOWNS?Using matches and machines to
reduce fuel load
Gavin Matthew
Senior Policy Manager, AFPA
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Bushfires in Australia
• Hotter and drier weather, and more
frequent bushfires, are costing Australia.
• Rural communities devastated:
• Yarloop WA 2016
• Dunalley TAS 2013
• Victorian high country 2003 and 2007
• Canberra & NSW 2003
• Industries impacted:
• Plantations
• Water supply
• Productions forests
• Processing facilities
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Traditional Fire Management
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Bushfire Suppression
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Costs of Bushfires
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Bushfire Trends
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A different approach• Governments
working with rural
communities and
land managers to
reduce bushfire
risk.
• Targeted fuel
reduction around
at-risk towns and
strategic assets
creating a ‘bushfire
buffer’.
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Case StudyUS Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program
• $400m over 10 years
• 1.45 million acres treated
Photos: Mick Stephens
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Existing Mechanical Bushfire Fuel Load
Reduction Programme
• Part of the National Bushfire
Mitigation Programme ($15m)
• $1.5m from the Federal
Government for mechanical fuel
load reduction trials over 2 years
• Gather scientific, cost-benefit and
social attitude evidence from
different forest types across
Australia.
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Forest Industry Advisory Council Report –
May 2016
Recommends that the
Australian Government
commit to a $300m - 10
year program of
mechanical fuel
reduction
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Bioenergy from Biomass
• Objective is to remove
biomass and reduce fuel
loads.
• If the economics add up
an outlet or market for
the woody biomass
could be bioenergy or
bioproducts.