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FireScape (Fire Ecology) Project – Where Red Meets Green. Community Engagement and Fire Awareness Forum. The Road to Safer Communities; Are we there yet? 3 rd – 4 th August, 2013 Mike McStephen VMO Gippsland and Kim Stanley-Eyles, VMO Barwon South West. Fire Ecology Project.
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FireScape (Fire Ecology) Project – Where Red Meets Green Community Engagement and Fire Awareness Forum. The Road to Safer Communities; Are we there yet? 3rd – 4th August, 2013 Mike McStephen VMO Gippsland and Kim Stanley-Eyles, VMO Barwon South West
Fire Ecology Project Introduction – Aims of the program • Balances risk management with fire ecology • Suited to Rural & Semi-rural communities • Link fire agencies, NRM agencies, community • See fire as one part of land management • Encourage local fire management planning • Increase appropriate burning on private land
Fire Ecology Project Country Area of Victoria • Domain of Country Fire Authority (CFA) • Seventy-eight percent of Victoria • Roadsides, rail easements, local reserves • Private land (75%) surface area • CFA is NOT a land manager
Fire Ecology Project Pilot Project: a background • 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission recommendations • Four year pilot ‘Environmental Compliance’ • Two year pilot (years 3 and 4) • Community Engagement Workshop Pilot • Modeled on “HotSpots” program: NSW Rural Fire Service partnering Nature Conservation Council • Burn planning across landscape tenures
Fire Ecology Project Overview of the Workshops • Fire planning: ecological perspective • Fire behaviour • Fire Planning: Risk perspective - BAL • Burn Planning • Monitoring the effects of fire • Property planning for fire
Fire Ecology Project What we have done so far • Identified groups • Share boundaries in bushland – share risk and interests • Mixture of attitudes and motivations • Two workshop sessions • Education and planning • Planning review and Burn • Burn separately if coordination can’t be done
Fire Ecology Project Communities involved • Fish Creek • South Gippsland, north of Wilson’s Prom • An isolated rural group • Koonwarra • South Gippsland, near Leongatha • A semi-urban group • Barongarook • Near Colac • Engaged with CFA support
Communities involved • Fish Creek • Small number of households • Predominantly semi-retired farming • Shared attitudes • Coherent local community
Communities involved • Location of Gippsland communities
Fish Creek • Fish Creek, burn block
Koonwarra characteristics • Koonwarra • Larger town than Fish Creek • Working locally • 50% House blocks • Not shared attitudes • Less well connected community
Program Structure • Two sessions • Session I – Education then planning • Fire Ecology – Planning fire without people • ParksVic: Fire and Environment Program Officer • Fire Risk – Fire Behaviour, Asset risk, BAL scale • CFA • Local brigade input • Brigade role and expectation • Walk and talk • Site inspection and reinforcement • Long lunch • Planning session (Big Maps)
Program Structure • Session II • Review and update plan • Burn if possible
Monitoring • Year 2 activity • Land owners concerns • Will this: • damage the environment • regenerate species • remove animals from the area • Interest from DEPI • Fire risk on private land • Fauna monitoring linking remnants • Fire history on private land