2024-12-12
In a balance of power situation, the Greens (WA) will push to bring the state’s prescribed burning practices in line with current science. The Greens will initiate an independent expert inquiry, as was recommended by the EPA, and, guided by the review, overhaul prescribed burning to improve its efficacy in protecting lives and property, wildlife, and biodiversity. Including:
- Implement a zoning approach to ensure environmental assets such as peat wetlands, tingle forests, and other areas at high risk of permanent fire damage are protected
- Increase funding for rapid suppression to ensure that we have the rapid detection technology and suppression equipment we need in the regions throughout bushfire seasons
- Better protect our firefighters by providing professional and voluntary teams with all the equipment they need to stay safe
- Better protect our homes, towns, infrastructure, and cultural assets with increased and easily accessed fire fighting equipment.
The need for these changes can be highlighted with the escaped burn on Friday 30th November which damaged the Mount Frankland South National Park. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) deliberately lit 200 hectares on a hot windy day while the Great Southern was in a total fire ban, and major bushfires across the state were diverting resources.The escaped burn is part of the Ordnance burn complex which has already caused massive tree canopy scorch across thousands of hectares of Jarrah-Marri forest.
Lines attributable to Greens (WA) Agriculture, Economics, Local Government, and Regions spokesperson and Legislative Council candidate, Diane Evers:
“It’s been over a year since the EPA called for an independent review into our prescribed burning practices. The Minister chose not to conduct such a review and burning is continuing unchecked. We’ve since had our hottest and driest recorded summer with temperatures expected to continue rising.
“WA Labor jumps at the wishes of the fossil fuel industry but refuses to listen to the science when it comes to keeping our communities and environment safe.
“We now understand that frequent burning of our tall forests like Karri and Tingle is actually increasing their flammability by creating unnaturally dense understories that cause a laddering effect, taking fire up into the canopy and making fires worse.
“Climate change is making it more and more difficult to burn safely and we are seeing huge areas of forest completely blacked out far away from any towns or infrastructure so that the department can meet its 200,000 ha south-west annual target.
““There are some ecosystems like peat wetlands and old tingle forests that cannot withstand DBCA’s hot and frequent prescribed burns and we are permanently altering these places and losing species.
“We should not be waiting for many hours for aerial support to arrive while a fire gets out of control.
“Bushfire mitigation and planning poses a significant challenge for regional local governments to protect human assets, biodiversity, and cultural heritage.”
Lines attributable to Greens (WA) MLC Dr Brad Pettitt:
“Most people would assume our prescribed burning practices are guided by science, but research conclusively shows they are both out of date and destructive.
“Every year DBCA incinerates huge areas of forests, woodlands and heath to meet its 200,000ha annual target; a target that is not based on contemporary science, is not protecting us from bushfires and is irreparably impacting our fragile ecosystems in the South-West.
“Most prescribed burning is occurring in low priority areas, far from human settlement and provides little protection from bushfires while destroying huge areas of natural heritage.
“The community’s trust in the WA Government and DBCA’s prescribed burning policy has been diminished by refusals to conduct an independent scientific review and an almost complete lack of public consultation, transparency, independent monitoring, and assessment.
“On top of that, prescribed burning releases huge volumes of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere every year, contributing to climate change. There are better ways and it’s time that this changed.”