2016-12-08
The Australian Greens welcome a Senate committee report calling for better preparedness for bushfires in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
"What we saw earlier this year in Tasmania is a dangerous warning of the future we face in a warming climate," Greens Senator for Tasmania Nick McKim, who chaired the inquiry, said.
"This report makes recommendations that if implemented would allow for Tasmania's precious World Heritage Area to be better defended from the threat of fire."
"Governments need to invest in the best possible equipment to fight wilderness fires, more research on the way fires behave in Tasmania's wilderness areas and more people to fight fires."
"We call on the state and federal government to implement the recommendations in full."
"Our firefighters did and continue to do an extraordinary job to protect life, property and the environment under very testing circumstances."
"We have a responsibility to ensure that they have the planning and resources to support them as the demands on them increase in the years to come."
The full report can be found here:
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Environment_and_Communications/TasmanianBushfires45/Report
Media ReleaseEnvironment and Biodiversity