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Southern Region Strategic Fire Management Plan, June 2011 1Depar tment of Pr imar y Industr ies, Par ks, Water and Environment

JUNE 2011

Southern Region Strategic Fire Management Plan

3

Southern Region Strategic Fire Management Plan

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment

Fire Management Section, Parks and Wildlife Service, GPO Box 1751 Hobart Tasmania 7001

Phone: 03 6233 4622 Fax: 03 6233 3972 www.parks.tas.gov.au

© Copyright State of Tasmania, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-7246-6570-9

Title: Southern Region Strategic Fire Management Plan

Publisher/Place: Dept. Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment – Hobart

Publication Date: June 2011

Southern Region Strategic Fire Management Plan, June 2011 1

ContentsStrategic Plan 2008–2010 Statement ........................................................3

1. Strategic Fire Management Planning

1.1 Approach ...........................................................................................................3

1.2 Project Charter ..............................................................................................3

1.3 Objectives .........................................................................................................4

1.4 Development of the Strategic Fire Management Plan

1.4.1 Project Outputs ............................................................................4

1.4.2 Project Scope .................................................................................4

1.5 Fire Management for PWS in Tasmania ...........................................6

1.5.1 Planning Structure ........................................................................6

1.5.2 Strategic Objectives ....................................................................6

1.5.3 Fire Management Policy and Legislation .........................7

2. Southern Region

2.1 Background ........................................................................................................8

2.2 Area Description ............................................................................................8

2.3 Fire History

2.3.1 Fire Regime ...................................................................................10

2.3.2 Fire Frequency ............................................................................10

2.3.3 Fire Cycle .......................................................................................11

2.3.4 Fire Size ...........................................................................................11

2.3.5 Fire Intensity .................................................................................12

2.3.6 Fire Type ..........................................................................................12

2.4 Fire Environment

2.4.1. Climate and Weather .............................................................13

2.5. Values at Risk ................................................................................................15

2.5.1 Constructed Values ..................................................................15

2.5.2 Forest/Agriculture Values ......................................................15

2.5.3 Natural Values ..............................................................................15

2.6 Vegetation Type ............................................................................................15

3. Bushfire Risk Assessment Model

3.1 Bushfire Risk Assessment Process ....................................................16

3.2 Regional BRAM Outputs

3.2.1 Ignition Potential ........................................................................16

3.2.2 Suppression Capabilities ........................................................16

3.2.3 Values at Risk ................................................................................16

3.2.4 Fire Behaviour Potential .........................................................17

3.3 Bushfire Risk Analysis ...............................................................................17

4. Fire Prevention

4.1 Context ...........................................................................................................20

4.2 Objective ........................................................................................................20

4.3 Strategies and Actions .............................................................................20

5. Preparedness

5.1 Context ...........................................................................................................28

5.2 Objective ........................................................................................................28


6. Fire Response

6.1 Context ...........................................................................................................30

6.2 Objective ........................................................................................................30


7. Recovery – Restoration

7.1 Context ...........................................................................................................33

7.2 Objective ........................................................................................................33


8. Standards, Monitoring and Reporting

8.1 Context ...........................................................................................................34

8.2 Objective ........................................................................................................34


9. Resource Requirements

9.1 Management of the Strategic Fire Management Plan ...........36

9.2 Implementation of the Strategic Fire Management Plan

........................................................................................................................................36

10. Reference Documents ..............................................37

11. Glossary and Abbreviations ...........................38

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY PWS STAFF

2 Southern Region Strategic Fire Management Plan, June 2011

Lists of Appendices and Maps MAP 1: Constructed Values .......................................................................................55Map 2: Forest/Agriculture Values ...........................................................................56Map 3: Natural Values ..................................................................................................57Map 4: Flammability ......................................................................................................58Map 5: Fuel Group ........................................................................................................59Map 6: Ignition Potential .............................................................................................60Map 7: Suppression Capability ................................................................................61Map 8: Values at Risk ....................................................................................................62Map 9: Fire Behaviour Potential .............................................................................63Map 10: Likelihood ...........................................................................................................64Map 11: Consequence ...................................................................................................65Map 12: Final Risk Grid ..................................................................................................66Map 13: Mt Field National Park – Risk .................................................................67Map 13A: Mt Field National Park – Natural Values ..........................................68Map 13B: Mt Field National Park – Ignition Potential .....................................68Map 14: Southwest National Park – Risk ............................................................69Map 14A: Southwest National Park – Natural Values .....................................70Map 14B: Southwest National Park – Flammability .........................................70Map 14C: Southwest National Park – Detection ..............................................70Map 15: Tasman National Park – Risk ...................................................................71Map 15A: Tasman National Park – Values at Risk ..............................................72Map 15B: Tasman National Park – Flammability ................................................72Map 15C: Tasman National Park – Ignition Potential .......................................72Map 16: Franklin–Gordon Wild Rivers National Park – Risk ...................73 Map 16A: Franklin–Gordon Wild Rivers National Park –

Natural Values ..................................................................................................74Map 16B: Franklin–Gordon Wild Rivers National Park

– Flammability ..................................................................................................74 Map 16C: Franklin–Gordon Wild Rivers National Park

– Detection .......................................................................................................74 Map 17: South Bruny National Park – Risk ........................................................75Map 17A: South Bruny National Park – Values at Risk ...................................76Map 17B: South Bruny National Park – Flammability .....................................76Map 17C: South Bruny National Park – Ignition Potential ............................76Map 18: Seven Mile Beach Protected Area – Risk .........................................77Map 18A: Seven Mile Beach Protected Area – Values at Risk .....................78Map 18B: Seven Mile Beach Protected Area – Ignition Potential .............78Map 19: Meehan Range State and Nature Recreation Areas – Risk ...79Map 19A: Meehan Range State and Nature Recreation Areas

– Values at Risk ................................................................................................80Map 19B: Meehan Range State and Nature Recreation Areas

– Ignition Potential ........................................................................................80Map 19C: Meehan Range State and Nature Recreation Areas

– Flammability ..................................................................................................80Map 20: Snug Tiers Nature Recreation Area – Risk......................................81Map 20A: Snug Tiers Nature Recreation Area – Ignition Potential..........82Map 20B: Snug Tiers Nature Recreation Area – Values at Risk .................82Map 21: Coningham Nature Recreation Area – Risk...................................83

Map 22: Southport Lagoon Conservation Area – Risk ..............................84Map 22A: Southport Lagoon Conservation Area – Natural Values .......85 Map 23: Detection Coverage ....................................................................................86Map 24: Southern Region Fire Management Zones .....................................87Map 25: Southern Region Fire Mitigation Priorities ......................................88

FIGuRE 1: Risk Management Process Overview ...................................................4Figure 2: Map of Council Boundaries with Southern Region ......................8Figure 3: Map of Lend Tenure ........................................................................................9Figure 4: Fire Size Distribution 1980–2009 ........................................................11Figure 5A: Percentage of Fire Occurrence by Cause in Southern

Region 1966–2009 .......................................................................................12Figure 5B: Percentage of Area Burned by Cause in Southern Region

1966–2009 ........................................................................................................12Figure 6A: Fire Occurrence by Cause/Month by Decade in the

Southern Region 1966–2009 .................................................................14Figure 6B: Lightning-caused Fires – Area Burned by Decade ......................14Figure 7: Adamsfield Historic Hut ............................................................................21Figure 8: Meehan Range Trail Class 5 .....................................................................22

TABLE 1: Timelines of Development ........................................................................5Table 2: Document of Authority or Direction ...................................................7Table 3: Temporal Fire Distribution 1966–2009 ............................................10Table 4: Forest Fire Danger Index Exceeds 25 and 30 ..............................13Table 5: Fuel Groups/TASVEG Type ......................................................................16Table 6: Qualitative Risk Matrix................................................................................17Table 7: Major Reserve BRAM Risk Summary ................................................18Table 8: Incidence of Abandoned Campfires ...................................................21Table 9: Strategic Fire Trails .........................................................................................23Table 10: Threatened Flora Priority Areas ...........................................................25Table 11: Summary of Strategies for Prevention ..............................................28Table 12: Preparedness Matrix ....................................................................................29Table 13: Summary of Strategies for Preparedness ........................................30Table 14: Suppression Strategies – Dry Sclerophyll ........................................31Table 15: Suppression Strategies – Moorland Buttongrass .........................31Table 16: Typical Rate of Spread for Dry Sclerophyll Forest

and Moorland Buttongrass .......................................................................32Table 17: Bushfire Management Decision Support Matrix .........................32Table 18: Summary of Strategies for Response .................................................33Table 19: Summary of Strategies for Recovery – Restoration .................34Table 20: Summary of Strategies for Standards, Monitoring

and Reporting...................................................................... ............................35

APPENDIx 1: Fire Planning Framework .................................................................40Appendix 2: Southern Region Reserve Breakdown ....................................41Appendix 3A: Bushfire Risk Assessment Model Flow Diagram –

Ignition Potential ...................................................................................44Appendix 3B: Bushfire Risk Assessment Model Flow Diagram –

Suppression Capabilities ...................................................................45Appendix 3C: Bushfire Risk Assessment Model Flow Diagram –

Values at Risk ..........................................................................................46Appendix 3D: Bushfire Risk Assessment Model Flow Diagram –

Fire Behaviour Potential ....................................................................47Appendix 4: Consequence Table .............................................................................48Appendix 5: State Fire Commission Statement Policy................................49Appendix 6: Infrastructure Development ..........................................................50Appendix 7: Daily Fire Action Plan .........................................................................51Appendix 8: Fire History Southern Region .......................................................53Appendix 9: Register of un-resourced Strategies..................... ....................54


Strategic StatementParks and Wildlife Service Strategic Plan 2008–2010

Vision Statement To protect, present and manage, in concert with the community, Tasmania’s unique and outstanding reserve systems for all the people, for all time.

Mission StatementTo create and maintain a representative and world-renowned reserve system. To conserve the State’s natural and cultural heritage while providing for sustainable use and economic opportunities for the Tasmanian community.

The Strategic PlanThe plan is set out in six core programs, with clear objectives, strategies and performance indicators. Our business is complex, and therefore the objectives are listed according to their primary program areas; however, cross-program relationships are acknowledged. Program five is now focused on fire management as this area is and will continue to be one of the Parks and Wildlife Service’s core responsibilities. Identifying it as a program reflects the emphasis placed on the program.

Fire Management Program Objective 5.1To manage fire and minimise the risks of bushfires.

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Draft Corporate Plan 2011–2013

ObjectiveSustainably manage the Tasmanian National Parks and Reserve system.

PrioritiesMinimise the risk of bushfires in national parks and reserves and other Crown land.

1. Strategic Fire Management Planning1.1 ApproachEffective bushfire management requires departmental commitment and expenditure of adequate resources over time. The allocation of sufficient funding is always a challenge with competing demands on government budget and the changing global economy. A balanced strategic approach is required to first determine what is at risk and what resources or actions are required to mitigate it.

The Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) uses a strategic risk management approach to manage bushfire. Risks are identified and assessed using a risk assessment process, and risk treatments are applied with the aid of a landscape zoning system.

The Strategic Fire Management Plan will provide a strategic approach to all facets of fire management planning. It covers requirements for fire prevention, fire preparedness, fire responses and fire recovery. it is intended to provide direction for the development of reserve fire management strategies (see Appendix 1: Fire Planning Framework). The strength in the document lies with the wholly strategic approach across jurisdictional boundaries; all assumptions were applied statewide, identifying statewide challenges.

A number of strategies identifed are presently unresourced the departments commitment will be based on allocated resourcing levels. The bushfire risk is displayed and analysed to indicate what the contributing factors that caused the level of risk, land management authorities then can determine whether they can mitigate or accept the risk.

1.2 Project CharterPWS is responsible for managing nearly 2.5 million hectares of reserved land and other Crown land. Most of this land is covered by flammable native vegetation, with thousands of kilometres of boundaries with neighbouring private property and State forest. Like all land owners, PWS has a legal obligation to keep fire on its own land.

However, PWS has never undertaken a strategic assessment of the risk exposure in relation to bushfire, and therefore there is no logical basis for identifying priorities for works and expenditure, except at the local level.

The Operational Safety Audit of Fire Management within the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service (Ellis, 2005) recommended that PWS undertake a statewide risk assessment, and a review of Fire Management Risk (Rawson, 2006) recommended that PWS undertake the preparation of a strategic fire management plan for each region. The PWS Strategic Plan 2008–2010 includes the strategy: Develop regional strategic fire management plans.

The plan has been instigated to implement recommendations of the Ellis and Rawson reports and to address bushfire risk to land managed by PWS by developing a bushfire risk assessment method, computer-based tools to conduct the risk assessment, and a strategic fire management plan for each PWS region to mitigate the bushfire risk.

MAP 1: Constructed Values .......................................................................................55Map 2: Forest/Agriculture Values ...........................................................................56Map 3: Natural Values ..................................................................................................57Map 4: Flammability ......................................................................................................58Map 5: Fuel Group ........................................................................................................59Map 6: Ignition Potential .............................................................................................60Map 7: Suppression Capability ................................................................................61Map 8: Values at Risk ....................................................................................................62Map 9: Fire Behaviour Potential .............................................................................63Map 10: Likelihood ...........................................................................................................64Map 11: Consequence ...................................................................................................65Map 12: Final Risk Grid ..................................................................................................66Map 13: Mt Field National Park – Risk .................................................................67Map 13A: Mt Field National Park – Natural Values ..........................................68Map 13B: Mt Field National Park – Ignition Potential .....................................68Map 14: Southwest National Park – Risk ............................................................69Map 14A: Southwest National Park – Natural Values .....................................70Map 14B: Southwest National Park – Flammability .........................................70Map 14C: Southwest National Park – Detection ..............................................70Map 15: Tasman National Park – Risk ...................................................................71Map 15A: Tasman National Park – Values at Risk ..............................................72Map 15B: Tasman National Park – Flammability ................................................72Map 15C: Tasman National Park – Ignition Potential .......................................72Map 16: Franklin–Gordon Wild Rivers National Park – Risk ...................73 Map 16A: Franklin–Gordon Wild Rivers National Park –

Natural Values ..................................................................................................74Map 16B: Franklin–Gordon Wild Rivers National Park

– Flammability ..................................................................................................74 Map 16C: Franklin–Gordon Wild Rivers National Park

– Detection .......................................................................................................74 Map 17: South Bruny National Park – Risk ........................................................75Map 17A: South Bruny National Park – Values at Risk ...................................76Map 17B: South Bruny National Park – Flammability .....................................76Map 17C: South Bruny National Park – Ignition Potential ............................76Map 18: Seven Mile Beach Protected Area – Risk .........................................77Map 18A: Seven Mile Beach Protected Area – Values at Risk .....................78Map 18B: Seven Mile Beach Protected Area – Ignition Potential .............78Map 19: Meehan Range State and Nature Recreation Areas – Risk ...79Map 19A: Meehan Range State and Nature Recreation Areas

– Values at Risk ................................................................................................80Map 19B: Meehan Range State and Nature Recreation Areas

– Ignition Potential ........................................................................................80Map 19C: Meehan Range State and Nature Recreation Areas

– Flammability ..................................................................................................80Map 20: Snug Tiers Nature Recreation Area – Risk......................................81Map 20A: Snug Tiers Nature Recreation Area – Ignition Potential..........82Map 20B: Snug Tiers Nature Recreation Area – Values at Risk .................82Map 21: Coningham Nature Recreation Area – Risk...................................83

Map 22: Southport Lagoon Conservation Area – Risk ..............................84Map 22A: Southport Lagoon Conservation Area – Natural Values .......85 Map 23: Detection Coverage ....................................................................................86Map 24: Southern Region Fire Management Zones .....................................87Map 25: Southern Region Fire Mitigation Priorities ......................................88


1.3 ObjectivesThe objective of the plan is to develop a consistent approach to fire management planning that addresses the bushfire risk to land managed by PWS, contributes to the PWS strategic plan and facilitates compliance with recommendations of the Rawson review of fire management risk and the Ellis operational safety audit by:

• developing and implementing a fire management planning framework for PWS and strategic fire management plans for each region;

• developing a risk management system to assess, identify, prioritise and manage the risk posed by bushfire hazard to or in relation to land managed by PWS and its values;

• developing and implementing operational strategies and tactics for prevention, preparedness, response and recovery at a regional level that take into account environmental and cultural heritage requirements; and

• effectively involving the public and other stakeholders in the development of the PWS bushfire risk management system.

1.4 Development of the Strategic Fire Management Plan

1.4.1 Project Outputs• Strategic fire management objectives for land

managed by PWS.

• GIS tools and computer models to conduct bushfire risk assessments.

• A dynamic AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009 consistent landscape scale bushfire risk assessment of land managed by PWS.

• A strategic fire management zoning system and map for land managed by PWS.

• A strategic fire management plan for each region of PWS.

• Community and other stakeholder satisfaction with the planning process and strategic plan.

• Delivery to and facilitation of uptake of the plan by each region and provide information to the relevant stakeholders.

1.4.2 Project Scope• The project will develop a bushfire risk assessment process

that will be consistent with the approach of the Australian Standard AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009 (see Figure 1).

• The project will develop GIS and other computer tools to facilitate a landscape scale bushfire risk assessment based on Canadian and Western Australia models.

ANALYSE RISK: Bushfire Risk Assessment Model

EVALuATE RISK: Reserve Assessment analysis review

TREAT RISK:

Prevention – Education, Enforcement, Engineering, Fire Management Zones, Planned Burning, Asset

Protection Methodology

Preparedness – Fire Action Plan

Response – Bushfire Management Decision

Support Matrix

IDENTIFY RISKS: Ignition Potential, Suppression

Capabilities, Fire Behaviour Potential,

Values at Risk

CONTEXT: Manage fire and minimise the risk of bushfires

MONITOR and REVIEW: Performance Indicators, AFAC Landscape Performance Measures

COMMuNICATE and CONSuLT: Stakeholder Committee, Newsletter, Community Forums

Figure 1: Risk Management Process Overview

• The project will work with relevant experts to develop flammability, fire sensitivity, value ratings, fire response and appropriate management actions for values and assets. The extent of these model inputs will be limited to what can be practically developed within the timeframes indicated later in this plan.

• The project will conduct a landscape scale risk assessment. This will include land of all tenure.


• The project will develop a map of strategic fire management zones for land for which PWS has management responsibility as treatment zones for risk management. This includes land reserved under the Nature Conservation Act 2002 and managed under the National Parks and Reserves Management Act 2002, Crown land and public reserves. This does not include private property, private property subject to a conservation covenant under the Nature Conservation Act 2002, State forest or forest reserves, land owned or managed by local councils, land owned or managed by Government business enterprises such as Transend, Aurora or Hydro Tasmania, land owned or managed by the Commonwealth, land owned or managed by infrastructure providers such as telecommunications companies, gas companies and the like, or reserved land subject to a lease for exclusive use.

• The project will develop management prescriptions for strategic fire management zones as treatments for risk management.

ApproachThe Strategic Fire Management Plan process for PWS has been developed progressively since June 2007 (see Table 1). An in-depth review of interstate and international agencies was undertaken to see what was being presently being utilised in the field. It was then determined that before PWS developed a fire management strategy it must first determine where and if a risk actually existed. Work commenced on the development of a Bushfire Risk Assessment Model (BRAM version 1) and the subsequent enhancement with BRAM V2. The other fire agencies (Tasmania Fire Service, Forestry Tasmania) indicated that there was a need for a statewide seamless output, therefore entire state values have been collected where possible, regardless of tenure. Commitments to provide for annual updates have been made by the various suppliers of data.

Table 1: Timelines of Development

Date Task

01/06/07 Development of project plan, charter and scope

18/06/07 Development of communication plan

30/06/07 PWS executive approval of project plan

10/07/07 Draft project objectives

15/08/07 Research risk assessment models

November/ December 07

Formation of steering, stakeholder committees and working groups

15/12/07 GM approval of objectives

01/01/08 Commence data collection for risk model

15/02/08 Research defining Fire Management Zones

Date Task

22/02/08 IT consultant commencing development of context layers

June/August 08

Ignition potential layer complete 15 June

Suppression capabilities layer complete 30 June

Values at risk layer complete 15 July

Fire behaviour potential layer complete 1 August

07/07/08 Stakeholder committee support for bushfire risk assessment model

14/07/08 Support for Strategic Fire Management Plan (SFMP) project from Tasmania National Parks Association

August 08 Commence Northern Region SFMP

September 08 Draft bushfire risk assessment threat map produced

October 08 Commencement of interface development for Bushfire Risk Assessment Model (BRAM)

October –December 08 Q/A testing of beta version of interface model

06/10/08 PWS endorsement for BRAM model

30/12/08 Draft Northern Region SFMP complete

15/01/09 BRAM Phase 1 complete

25/05/09 Draft Northern Region SFMP distributed for review by stakeholders

25/05/09 Commence work on Southern Region SFMP

01/06/09 Automation review of BRAM

01/06/09 Solicit data from stakeholders

01/09/09 Automation complete on BRAM V2

09/12/09 Receipt and input of data for BRAM V2

10/12/09 Northern Region SFMP endorsed by GM

01/02/10 BRAM V2 initial run

31/05/10 Draft Southern Region SFMP

15/05/10 Commence work on BRAM V3

Table 1: Timelines of Development (continued)


On completion of the strategic fire management planning project the process in which planned burns and bushfires will be managed on PWS-managed land will be a function of the available funding and the implementation of the entire fire management planning framework.

The success of the strategic fire management plans will be dependent on these measures being implemented over a number of years and will not be measurable during the life of this project (ie next two years).

ConsultationA communication plan was developed early on in the process. The objectives of this communication plan were to:

• raise community and other stakeholder awareness of the strategic fire management planning project through meetings and the distribution of a newsletter ;

• facilitate community and other stakeholder consultation, providing a method to capture local knowledge and review community concerns;

• keep interested stakeholders informed and involved during the process; and

• reduce possible misinformation about the project objectives, outputs and tenure of land covered by the strategic fire management plan.

This was achieved by the development of various working groups with the identification, categorisation of stakeholders and target groups being developed. The message was disseminated to the various audiences by the use of an information newsletter, intranet and internet sites.

The stakeholder committees consisted of membership from the following organisations:

Parks and Wildlife Service

Biodiversity Conservation Branch, DPIPWE

Tasmania Fire Service

Forestry Tasmania

Forest Industries Association of Tasmania

State Emergency Service

Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association

Local Government Association of Tasmania

Department of Premier and Cabinet

Natural Resource Management North

Natural Resource Management South

Cradle Coast Natural Resource Management

Tasmanian Aboriginal Land and Sea Council

1.5 Fire Management for the Parks and Wildlife Service in Tasmania

1.5.1 Planning StructurePlanning for fire management in the Parks and Wildlife Service will operate in a multi-tiered structure (see Appendix 1: Fire Planning Framework):

First tier will be at the State level, and will address legislation, code of practices and policy and procedure requirements.

Second tier will be at the regional level, involving the development of regional strategic fire management plans, regional reserve fire management strategies, annual planned burn programs, fire works plans and fire emergency response plans.

Third tier will be at the field centre level, and will address daily prevention preparedness, and the development of individual works plans for specific areas of interest.

1.5.2 Strategic ObjectivesPWS has the following responsibilities in relation to bushfire:

• to protect people – visitors and neighbours;

• to protect values on neighbouring properties from fires that spread from reserved land and Crown land;

• to protect the conservation values of reserves, particularly fire-sensitive vegetation and species for which bushfire is a threat;

• to provide a safe work environment for staff and fire-fighters from other agencies engaged in fire suppression operations on reserved land.

Historically, the focus of fire management statewide has been fire suppression. Current practices need to shift and take into consideration both the positive and negative impacts of bushfires. Natural and planned fires remove fuel accumulation, therefore resulting in less intense and less severe bushfires. Natural fire cycles will differ in frequency and intensity, depending on geographic location.

The interruption of the natural cycle results in a buildup of fuels, with the potential to create larger fires and higher fire intensities than may have occurred naturally. A strategic and adaptive approach will recognise the need to allow natural fire regimes to resume in the landscape where feasible.

The objective of the development of the Strategic Fire Management Plan for PWS is to present an opportunity to change from existing fire management practices in order to develop a landscape approach strategy that minimises human manipulation and suppression activities while achieving key goals.


To assist in the implementation, fire management will follow a two-part approach:

First, with Bushfire Management through the development and implementation of fire management zone protocols, this will provide direction for assessing, actioning and prioritising bushfire within each identified zone (see Fire Management Zones, page 25).

Second, in the application of a Planned Fire component, the introduction of various sizes, arrangements and intensities of fire can achieve a variety of management objectives (see Planned Fire Strategy, page 23). The various strategic burns will assist in the implementation of the bushfire management zone protocols.

1.5.3 Fire Management Policy and LegislationThe authority and direction for the Parks and Wildlife Service in regard to fire management comes from legislation and departmental policy (see Table 2). The fire management section is presently reviewing and updating policies as required, and in future will look at amendments to the existing legislation to assist in the management of fire protection.

Table 2: Document of Authority or Direction

Legislation Relevant Section

Fire Services Act 1979 Section 45

National Parks and Reserve Management Act 2002 Section 30 and 88A

Crown Lands Act 1976

Threatened Species Protection Act 1995

Aboriginal Relics Act 1975

Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

Forest Practices Act 1985

State Coastal Policy 1996

Water Management Act 1999/ State Policy on Water Quality Management 1997

Note: only the most relevant legislation is listed here.

PWS Fire Management Policies

Subject

PR-057 Fire duties availability and recall

P-048 Fire and developments (buildings)

P-049 Fire fighter fitness policy

P-050 Fire management policy

P-052 Planned burning

PR-019 Bushfire database reporting procedures

PR-045 Fire duty officer procedures

PR-046 Inexperience fire fighters on the fire ground

PR-047 Fire fighter personal protective equipment procedures

PR-048 Bushfire response procedures

PR-052 Vehicle emergency lights procedures

P-055 Fire planning policy

PR-100 Fire vehicle specifications

SWP-010 Fire fatigue management

G - 101 PWS incident management teams

Table 2: Document of Authority or Direction (continued)


2. Southern Region2.1 BackgroundThe Parks and Wildlife Strategic Plan identifies the need to develop regional strategic fire management plans, along with performance indicators showing that the percent and area negatively impacted by bushfire decreases over time.

The Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council are in the process of developing National Landscape Fire Performance Indicators and when complete PWS will adjust its indicators to align with these.

An initial Bushfire Risk Assessment Model (BRAM) was developed and run for the state of Tasmania in 2008 with a subsequent re-run of the model occurring at the end of 2009. Further enhancements of the BRAM are proposed to refine the power of the model to identify risk. An analysis of the extracted data will be the basis for the mitigation strategies in the regional strategic fire management plans, as each region will have unique challenges and opportunities. The goal is to develop a process that allows systems to be in place before, during and after a bushfire to reduce loss of life, injuries, damage to environment, heritage and cultural values, economic loss and social disruption.

2.2 Area DescriptionThe Southern Region encompasses an area from Port Davey in the west, and Little Swanport in the north-east, south to Cockle Creek. It also includes Maria Island and Macquarie Island. Major reserves of the region include Franklin–Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, South Bruny National Park, Southwest National Park, Adamsfield Conservation Area, Mount Field National Park, Seven Mile Beach Protected Area and Tasman National Park.

A total of 143 individual land areas with a combined area of 1 383 172 hectares is managed by PWS Southern Region staff (see Appendix 2: Southern Region Reserve Breakdown). This PWS jurisdiction incorporates twelve local government councils in part or whole (see Figure 2) and lies alongside multiple land tenures (see Figure 3).

Figure 2: Map of Council Boundaries with Southern Region southern region


Figure 3: Map of Land Tenure


2.3 Fire History

2.3.1 Fire RegimeFire plays an important role in maintaining species diversity in most of the native vegetation in Australia, particularly in eucalypt forest, coastal heathlands, moorland, grassland enlisted communities and related shrubby communities (eg Gill and Groves, 1981; Harris, 1991; Bradstock et al, 1995).

There is good evidence that the indigenous people applied regular burning to at least some areas in Tasmania for thousands of years, although the extent to which Aboriginal burning has modified or influenced the vegetation is a controversial topic (Bowman, 1998). Before the arrival of the Aboriginal people, lightning strikes were the only source of ignition, which probably produced a very different pattern of burning to that imposed by Aborigines. It is certain, however, that fire has been present in the Tasmanian environment for a long time. As a consequence, most native plant and animal species are adapted to cope with fire at least to some extent.

The concept of a ‘fire regime’ is an important one for land managers. Together, the variables of fire frequency, season of fire occurrence, fire severity and fire size comprise what is known as the ‘fire regime’. The variability of all of these factors is also known to be very important and contributes to determining the species present in an area. It’s generally believed that variability contributes to maintaining biodiversity.

The season, intensity and frequency of burning are all factors which must be considered when planning fire as an ecological management tool. Fires must be sufficiently intense to stimulate flowering and germination of plants (eg Jones, 1988; Auld and O’Connell, 1989; Bradstock and Auld, 1995); frequent enough to prevent the dominance of tall shrub species in heathlands (eg Specht and Specht, 1989; Keith and Bradstock, 1994); but not so frequent as to eliminate plant species which require time to reach flowering age and produce seed (eg Benson, 1985; Gill and Bradstock, 1992). It is also essential to allow variation in the inter-fire interval to maintain species diversity (eg Bradstock et al, 1995; Morrison et al, 1995; Cary and Morrison, 1995).

Notwithstanding the lack of knowledge about the long term fire history of the reserves in the PWS Southern Region, the fire-adapted nature of most of the native vegetation is well recognised. An analysis to investigate the relationship between vegetation communities and lightning distribution has been explored, and is a possible explanation for the current vegetation mosaic in south-west Tasmania (eg King 2004). A single bushfire is not thought to be a threat to the long term survival or continued presence of any plant or animal species, except in the wetter vegetation communities such as rainforest or wet eucalypt forest and alpine and sub-alpine communities. An inappropriate fire regime, however, may lead to the reduction in abundance of some species or their complete extinction within some areas.

The objective of vegetation management in reserves is to maintain the range of vegetation communities and successional stages within these communities and fire intervals. In so doing, we hope that all of the species which are present may be maintained in perpetuity. To see this objective realised, PWS recognises that it is necessary to deliberately burn some areas: fire is considered to be a natural part of the environment. PWS also appreciates that even with an ecological burning program, we cannot be certain that we will maintain all species populations, because of the very limited knowledge of appropriate fire regimes which is currently available.

2.3.2 Fire FrequencyFire frequency is defined as the total number of fires that occur over a period of time. PWS or its past authority has maintained records of fires attended by its staff on or near the land that it manages. Records from earlier years are incomplete, and for the purpose of this report only the information on fires that affected PWS reserve land and were fought by Forestry Tasmania and/or PWS staff were used. Records that were available indicated that in the 42 years since 1966 a total of 281 fires have been recorded in what is now the Southern Region, burning a total of 102 551.66 hectares (ha). In 2007 the largest fires occurred, burning 28 145 ha of forested land (see Appendix 9). Annual fire frequency has been variable over the years, with an increasing trend becoming apparent in the last decade. Fire statistics had a wide variation from numbers/year to area burned (see Table 3).

Table 3: Temporal Fire Distribution in Southern Region 1966–2009

Time Period Number of Fires Area Burned (ha)

2000–2009 167 86,636.16

1990–1999* 90 4863.3

1980–1989* 21 10,993.9

1970–1979* 3 58.3

1966–1969* 0 None recorded

*Records prior to 1990 are very incomplete. In 1996-97 the areas of the reserve system increased dramatically as an outcome of the RFA process, which would therefore have an effect on the total number of bushfires that were recorded and included in statistics.


Figure 4: Fire Size Distribution in Southern Region 1980–2009

2.3.3 Fire CycleFire cycle is defined as a period of time within which an area equal to the total area of vegetation type will be burned (Tolhurst 2000). This detailed fire cycle information is not presently available for the region, but would be extremely useful to help us understand the extent to which specific vegetation types are being burned. A study of similar geographic areas could be undertaken to look for similar conclusions. In general, the fire cycle in this area has a high level of complexity due to the significant number of vegetation types.

2.3.4 Fire SizeBecause detailed fire information is not available for the region prior to 1966, only the statistics since that time can be reviewed. In the Southern Region there have been 281 bushfires recorded between 1966 and 2009. The largest fire affecting a reserve occurred in 2007, and burned 28,145 ha, which was 32% of the area burned during this period of time. Over 86% of the fires during that timeframe were under 100 ha. By the 1980s the average fire size was 524 hectares. The 90s saw a significant decrease to 54 hectares, but during the 2000s the average size had again increased to 350 ha. In review of size distribution (see Figure 4) it appears that there is a significant percentage increase in the number of fires occurring in the <1 hectare class. This change may be attributed to improved detection methods, which enables a quicker response for suppression resources. The data also indicates a slightly increasing trend of larger size class fires.


2.3.5 Fire IntensityFire intensity is a measurement of the amount of energy released per given length of flame front (kw/m). The fire regime in the Southern Region can be best described as having frequent small, low-intensity surface fires with the only exception being in the moorland buttongrass community. The reason for this is that the majority of the region falls within a wet climate zone of Tasmania, which supports high surface fuel decomposition rates, and slow surface fuel accumulation rates. This combination can develop areas that support moderate intensities in dry forest, scrub, moorland buttongrass and the rare high-intensity stand replacing fire events only occurring with prolonged drought factors.

Figure 5A: Percentage of Fire Occurrence by Cause in Southern Region 1966–2009

2.3.6 Fire TypeFire type refers to the true cause of the fire, either human-caused or ignited by lightning. The total leading cause of fires for the Southern Region from 1966 to 2009 was human-caused, which accounted for 86% of the total fire occurrences and about 68% of the area burned. Human-caused fires can be further broken down by true causes as defined by categories used by PWS: Figure 5A and Figure 5B outline the further detail which allows for analysis and target groups for prevention strategies. Figure 6B indicates that lightning-caused fires are on the increase over the last couple of decades, which supports Bureau of Meteorology observations.

Figure 5B: Percentage of Area Burned by Cause in Southern Region 1966–2009

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2.4 Fire Environment

2.4.1 Climate and WeatherA fire season is defined as the period of time in which fires are most likely to occur. Fire seasons can vary geographically: across the southern part of mainland Australia, above-normal fire potential has existed in recent times, but these conditions have eased in Tasmania due to the above-normal precipitation occurring in the winter of 2009. Fire potential depends on multiple factors. The stage is often set by the antecedent rainfall, which factors in with the amount of fuel availability and time of grass curing.

The fire season in the Southern Region of Tasmania extends from September to March (during which 89% of the incidents occurred); this extended period occurs due to the flammable characteristics of the moorland buttongrass vegetation complexes. Major fire events usually occur when the Fire Danger Index (FDI) exceeds 25. At or above this value, fire behaviour normally prevents successful suppression capabilities. Table 4 indicates historical daily records when reporting weather stations exceeded critical FDI values.

Table 4: Fire Danger Index Exceeds 25 and 50

Weather Station No. of Days Exceed FDI 25 No. of Days exceed FDI 50 90 Percentile FDI

Number Station 1992–2000 2000–08 1992–2000 2000–08 2000–08

97072 Strahan (93)3 4 0 5 7

97053 Strathgordon (99)0 2 0 0 4

97083 Scotts Peak (98)0 9 0 1 8

95018 Tarraleah (94)1 2 0 0 10

95048 Ouse (98)8 41 0 3 18

95063 Maydena (93)2 1 0 0 8

94041 Maatsuyker n/a 2 0 0 7

94191 Hartz Mtn n/a 1 n/a 0 6

95003 Bushy Park (94)20 31 (94)1 2 18

95060 Moogara (94)0 0 (94)0 0 8

94087 Mt Wellington (94)0 1 (94)0 0 5

94029 Hobart (92)19 28 (92)4 2 15

94137 Geeveston (94)9 7 (94)1 0 10

94020 Dover (94)2 1 (94)1 0 7

94010 Cape Bruny (99)0 1 (99)0 0 7

92027 Orford (99) 0 3 (99) 0 0 7

(Based on 15:00 Actual Weather readings; total number of days for indicated time period in which FDI range was exceeded, (94) indicates the period of time the records were reviewed from 1994–08)

Table 4 suggests that there is a trend of increasing numbers of days with fire danger indices above 25 and 50.

Monthly variations in the occurrence of bushfires can be explained by variations in weather patterns, and correlates with periods of time when there is high visitor use, since 86%

of all fires are human-caused. With global weather changes the definition of a ‘normal’ fire season is likely to change.

Figure 6A shows the breakdown of fire by month, but will require further analysis by decade to determine whether any major shifts are occurring with global change.


Figure 6A: Fire Occurrence by Cause/Month by Decade in the Southern Region 1966–2008

Figure 6B: Lightning-caused Fires – Area Burned by Decade

FireOccurrenceCause/Month2000‐Nov2009

FireOccurrenceCause/Month1966‐2009

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2.5 Values at RiskValues are defined as objects or locations that hold a relative economic, social or environmental worth within and outside of reserves. Not all values are affected or damaged by fire. Spatial data, for analysis in a geographic information system (GIS), were collected state-wide from a variety of sources to attempt to develop a comprehensive collection of values. The objects collected were then classified into three categories: Constructed; Forest/Agriculture; and Natural values. Impacts from bushfires were based on fire passage, not impacts that might occur due to fire suppression activities.

2.5.1 Constructed ValuesThe items in this classification are values that have been built or constructed by humans, including both historical and modern structures. Inputs into this classification have been broken down into the following seven subgroups (see Appendix: Map 1):

• Life: spatial locations that have a high probability of temporary visitor use within the reserves.

• Neighbour: spatial locations of multiple density populations that occur within 200 m of a reserve boundary.

• Wildland Urban Interface: locations of single, multiple, high density populations along with businesses.

• Critical Infrastructure: locations of facilities that if temporarily disrupted would cause extensive economic or social impact.

• Burnable Infrastructure: locations of facilities that if disrupted would cause some economic or social impact but could be replaced in a relatively short timeframe.

• Heritage: locations of both State- and Commonwealth-listed historic buildings.

• Non-burnable: values which cannot be negatively affected by the passage of a bushfire.

Relevant representatives from SES, LGAT, TFS and PWS have provided ongoing advice on which data should be collected and scored within the relative groups, and that may change in future.

2.5.2 Forest/Agriculture ValuesThis is a relative economic value classification of managed forested land and research monitoring plots, along with some locations of horticulture production areas. Forest values were broken into 6 relative economic classes ranging from Class 0 to Class 5, with Class 5 being the highest value commercial plantation, through to Class 0, which are areas that are presently not managed for commercial economic return (see Appendix: Map 2). At this time all horticulture values are captured in a single amalgamated data base. Examples of other values which could be captured are apiary operations and high-value grazing locations.

Relevant representatives from FT, Gunns, Norske Skog, Private Forest,TimberlandsPacificPtyLtdandPWShaveprovidedongoingadvice on which data should be collected and scored within the relative groups, and that may change in future.

2.5.3 Natural ValuesThe items in this classification are specific flora, fauna, geo-conservation and Ramsar sites, along with some water catchment locations which have been identified as requiring special protection. With flora, the specialists reviewed both individual species as well as communities; their status and risk parameters for inappopriate fire frequency. Fauna species were categorised relative to their individual restricted range (where local mortality could have high significant impact on species survival) and vulnerability (where impact could cause mortality in the majority of individuals). Geo-conservation and water catchment areas were categorised by their sensitivity to impacts from bushfires on their landbase (see Appendix: Map 3).

Relevant specialist have provided ongoing advice that is the best available at the time on the basis of limited information and a number of quite arbitrary decisions regarding relative values, and that may change in future. (Fire Management Section (2011) BushfireRiskAssessmentModelProject–BusinessProcessModel V4. Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Hobart).

Data on Aboriginal cultural values are not presently available for this project.

2.6 Vegetation TypeWithin the reserve system in Tasmania there exists a variety of vegetation communities which are inventoried through TASVEG Version 2.0. The underlying attributes were interpreted as ‘Flammability Classes’ (Pyrke and Marsden-Smedley, 2005) and ‘Fuel Groups’, which were used in this project to assist in the analysis of fire behaviour in Tasmanian vegetation communities.

Flammability classes were assigned to 5 categories from Extreme to Low (see Appendix: Map 4) with fuel grouping broken up into 14 broad types based on fuel structure (see Appendix: Map 5 and Table 5).


3. Bushfire Risk Assessment Model (BRAM)3.1 Bushfire Risk Assessment ProcessBoth the Ellis and Rawson reports recommend the development of a risk assessment to help PWS focus on a strategic direction in regard to fire risk mitigation.

International literature research was undertaken to review what existing computer models were presently being utilised. Models from the following locations were reviewed: Western Australia, Canberra, New Zealand, South Africa, Greece, united States, British Columbia, and Alberta.

Ideas and processes were used and enhanced to come up with the model which was required and developed for Tasmania. The processes helped evaluate four key input components to the model, which identifies challenges or shortfalls with the existing management direction. The model is built in a geographic information system utilising various spatial data, fire behaviour equations and climate records from many sources. The Bushfire Risk Assessment Model (BRAM) is the result (Fire Management Section (2011) Bushfire Risk Assessment Model Project – Business Process Model V4. Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Hobart).

3.2 Regional BRAM Outputs

3.2.1 Ignition Potential — which is defined as historical ignition records or natural occurrences which could indicate a risk of ignition (see Appendix: Map 6). A variety of input data was used to determine the final ignition potential output used (see Appendix 3A: Ignition Potential Flow Diagram).

3.2.2 Suppression Capabilities— which is defined as areas within the state where bushfire occurrences can be detected and actioned utilising existing fire management procedures and resources (see Appendix: Map 7). A variety of input data was used to determine the final suppression capabilities output used (see Appendix 3B: Suppression Capabilities Flow Diagram).

3.2.3 Values at Risk— which is defined as any item or area that has either an economic, social or environmental worth (see Appendix: Map 8). A variety of input data (see page 14) was used to determine the final values at risk output used (see Appendix 3C: Values at Risk Flow Diagram).

Table 5: Fuel Groups/TASVEG type

Fuel Group TASVEG Types Covered

Fuel Group 1 Dry sclerophyll forest, dry sclerophyll woodlands

Fuel Group 2 Buttongrass moorland

Fuel Group 3 Heathland, dry scrub, coastal shrub, wet scrub, swamp and wetland

Fuel Group 4 Grassland, native grassland

Fuel Group 5 Radiata and eucalypt plantations

Fuel Group 6 Wet sclerophyll woodlands – forests, mixed forests

Fuel Group 7 Gorse, flammable weeds

Fuel Group 8 Rainforest

Fuel Group 9 Slash

Fuel Group 10 Shelterwood coupes (burnt)

Fuel Group 10A Shelterwood coupes (unburnt)

Fuel Group 11 Alpine, sub-alpine with conifers and deciduous beech

Fuel Group 12 Alpine, sub-alpine sedgy and grassy

Fuel Group 13 Alpine, sub-alpine without conifers and deciduous beech

Fuel Group 14 Forest agriculture land


3.2.4 Fire Behaviour Potential— which is defined as factors that would affect the development and propagation of a fire (see Appendix: Map 9). A variety of input data was used to determine the final fire behaviour potential output used (see Appendix 3D: Fire Behaviour Potential Flow Diagram).

Likelihood is defined as a qualitative method to assess the likelihood rating to the consequences occurring. The likelihood of an event (see Appendix: Map 10) was generated by the average combinations of the output generated from the following: Ignition Potential, Suppression Capabilities and Fire Behaviour Potential, followed by assigning these output values to categories in a likelihood matrix. This is taken to mean the likelihood of a fire occurring in a specific area which surpasses the ability of the fire agencies to contain within the first 24 hours.Consequences are defined as a qualitative rating of damage from fire to values. The consequences (see Appendix: Map 11) were taken directly from the output generated through the Values at Risk spatial layer output. A representation of risk (see Appendix: Map 12) is developed when you combine the factors of likelihood and consequence. The generated output map of risk shows qualitative areas of risk, not areas of perceived risk. Thus, the model assists in objectively defining areas where genuine risk is present. In-depth analysis will indicate what factor is the major contributing cause of the risk.

It must be noted that the BRAM and therefore the consequences, likelihood and risk outputs are based on available data. While the maps are presented as complete maps of

Table 6: Qualitative Risk Matrix

Consequence (Values at Risk)

Lik

eli

ho

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1 2 3 4 5

5 High High Extreme Extreme Extreme

4 Mod High High Extreme Extreme

3 Low Mod High Extreme Extreme

2 Low Low Mod High Extreme

1 Low Low Mod High High

Tasmania, there are gaps in the data inside and outside areas of reserved land managed by PWS. For example, the mapped fire history which contributes to the Ignition Potential and therefore Likelihood layers is not complete on private land (ie outside of reserved land and State forest). Also, if additional resources could be directed to assist in the collection of improved datasets in the natural value category and agriculture land (ie grazing), this would greatly contribute to the quality of the Values at Risk layer and therefore the Consequence layer.

Table 7 presents analysis of individual reserves parcels which identifies specific locations of risk by type and an overall summary breakdown for the entire reserve. This information provides some guidance on what percentage of the reserve is under a specific risk category at a landscape scale.

The development and use of a onsite risk assessment tool similar to the ‘Red Zone’* software program could prove to be a valuable tool for staff when working with adjacent residence scale concerns.

3.3 Bushfire Risk AnalysisTo determine overall risk the NERAG (National Emergency Risk Assessment Guidelines August 2009) document (see Appendix 4) was used. The level of risk is determined by combining consequences and likelihood (see Table 6).

*Red Zone is a mapping software program developed in the United States which assesses sites using a variety of input parameters to determine an overall site hazard score.


Table 7: Major Reserve BRAM Risk Summary

NameRisk (Percentage of Reserve)

Extreme High Moderate Low

Mt Field National Park (see Appendix Map 13) 2 4 33 62

Approved Plans: Mt Field National Park Management Plan 2002

Reserve Fire Management Strategy: General analysis indicates scattered high fauna values and collection of constructed values at south-east end of the park (see Appendix: Map 13A), limited opportunity for planned burning, high ignition potential (see Appendix: Map 13B) from historic starts. Recommend increased prevention activities along with Emergency Response Plan for high density of site visitors.

Southwest National Park (see Appendix: Map 14) 3 37 19 42

Approved Plans: South West Fire Management Plan 1988, Tasmanian Wilderness WHA Tactical FMP 2004, Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Management Plan 1999

Reserve Fire Management Strategy: General analysis indicates scattered high natural values along with pockets of constructed values (see Appendix: Map 14A), opportunity for planned burning in highly flammable vegetation (see Appendix: Map 14B), wicks will limit potential fire spread, poor detection coverage (see Appendix: Map 14C). Could be improved by adjusting; increasing spotter flight coverage when lightning risk occurs and subscribing to lightning detection service.

Tasman National Park (see Appendix: Map 15) 10 10 36 44

Approved Plans: Tasman National Park and Reserves Management Plan 2001, Tasman National Park and Reserves Management Plan 2010 draft

Reserve Fire Management Strategy: General analysis indicates random scattered values (see Appendix: Map 15A), except for some critical infrastructure in Eaglehawk Neck. Some opportunity for planned burning in heath and dry sclerophyll vegetation (see Appendix: Map 15B): will reduce fire intensity and increase suppression success.

Franklin–Gordon Wild Rivers National Park (see Appendix: Map 16)

>1 16 30 54

Approved Plans: Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Management Plan 1999, Tasmanian Wilderness WHA Tactical FMP 2004

Reserve Fire Management Strategy: General analysis indicates scattered high flora and geo-conservation values (see Appendix: Map 16A), opportunity for planned burning in highly flammable vegetation (see Appendix: Map 16B), wicks will limit potential fire spread, poor detection coverage (see Appendix: Map 16C). Could be improved by adjusting; increasing spotter flight coverage when lightning risk occurs, and ensuring that Mt King William fire tower is manned.

South Bruny National Park (see Appendix: Map 17) 5 4 27 64

Approved Plans: South Bruny National Park, Waterfall Creek State Reserve, Green Island Nature Reserve Management Plan 2000

Reserve Fire Management Strategy: General analysis indicates random scattered values (see Appendix: Map 17A), except for some critical infrastructure in Adventure Bay, high ignition potential (see Appendix: Map 17C) from historic starts. Some opportunity for planned burning in heath and dry sclerophyll vegetation (see Appendix: Map 17B) will reduce fire intensity and increase suppression success. Recommend increased prevention activities.

Seven Mile Beach Protected Area (see Appendix: Map 18) 99 >1 0 >1

Reserve Fire Management Strategy: General analysis indicates the area has significant forestry values (see Appendix: Map 18A), high ignition potential (see Appendix: Map 18b) from historic starts. Recommend increased prevention activities, targeted patrols occurring during high FDR days to reduce starts.

Meehan Range State and Nature Recreation Area (see Appendix: Map 19)

79 8 9 3

Reserve Fire Management Strategy: General analysis indicates the area has significant critical infrastructure values (see Appendix: Map 19A), high ignition potential (see Appendix Map 19B) from historic starts. Recommend increased prevention activities, targeted patrols occurring during high FDR days to reduce fire starts. Some opportunity for planned burning in dry sclerophyll vegetation (see Appendix: Map 19c) will reduce fire intensity and increase suppression success.


Name

Risk (Percentage of Reserve)

Extreme High Moderate Low

Snug Tiers Nature Recreation Area 35 15 13 37

Approved Plans: Snug Tiers Nature Recreation Area and Coningham Nature Recreation Area Fire Management Plan 2004

Reserve Management Strategies: General analysis indicates that the area has moderate geo-conservation values on the central portion of the reserve, along with high value adjacent constructed values (see Appendix: Map 20B), high ignition potential (see Appendix: Map 20A) from adjacent historic starts. Recommend increased prevention activities, targeted patrols occurring during high FDR days to reduce fire starts. Some opportunity for planned burning in dry sclerophyll vegetation will reduce fire intensity and increase suppression success.

Coningham Nature Recreation Area 74 1 9 15

Approved Plans: Snug Tiers Nature Recreation Area and Coningham Nature Recreation Area Fire Management Plan 2004

Reserve Management Strategies: General analysis indicates the area has high flora values on the north portion of the reserve, along with high value adjacent constructed value, high ignition potential from historic starts. Recommend increased prevention activities, targeted patrols occurring during high FDR days to reduce fire starts. Some opportunity for planned burning in dry sclerophyll vegetation will reduce fire intensity and increase suppression success.

Southport Lagoon Conservation Area 2 36 39 22

Approved Plans: Southport Lagoon Conservation Area Management Plan 2006

Reserve Management Strategies: General analysis indicates that the east area of the reserve has extreme flora value, and portions of the reserve have moderate geo-conservation values (see Appendix: Map 22A), high ignition potential from historic starts. Recommend increased prevention activities, targeted patrols occurring during high FDR days to reduce fire start. Some opportunity for planned burning in dry sclerophyll and scrub vegetation will reduce fire intensity and increase suppression success.

The initial analysis indicates that large areas within PWS reserves are in fact not a risk, and contribute very little to the risk in surrounding areas.

Regional working groups should be developed with the three fire agencies represented and local area stakeholders to do an in-depth review of the outputs generated by the model to determine the contributing factor(s) of areas at risk. Through community engagement, education can be focused on developing a better understanding of the areas of genuine qualitative risk, not on areas of perceived risk.

Further analysis will occur for areas within reserves identified as high or extreme risk to determine if the risk is intolerable, tolerable or acceptable. Mitigation strategies will at present be focused on areas of highest risk due to budget constraints.

The BRAM maps at the end of this plan are indicative – it is intended that detailed analyses will utilise GIS and the GIS model.

Table 7: Major Reserve BRAM Risk Summary (continued)

The focus for mitigation strategies will be on three main fronts:

1. PREVENTION, to reduce the number of bushfires occurring

2. PRO-ACTIVE RESPONSE, instead of a reactive response, to minimise the negative impacts which could be caused by bushfire and ensure that resources are already located where the greatest hazard and risk exists.

3. Deploying the CORRECT RESPONSE REQuIREMENTS once a bushfire is detected to minimise the extent of the impact.


4. Fire Prevention4.1 ContextPrevention controls are designed to prevent the occurrence of a bushfire and/or facilitate easier control.

4.2 ObjectiveFire ignition occurs by two factor types: natural (lightning) or human-caused. In fire prevention the focus is to reduce the likelihood of incidents occurring through the initiation of, or changes to, education, enforcement or engineering programs.

The education program will focus on human-caused bushfires. Analysis determined that the major cause breakdown in the Southern Region is as follows:

HuMAN-CAuSEDArson: 28% occurrences, 1% area burned

Other: 21% occurrences, 7% area burned

NATuRALLightning: 14% occurrences, 55% area burned

4.3 Strategies and Actions (Summary of Strategies see Table 11)

Education The program should target industrial and agricultural neighbours, which account for 21% of all the fires which are occurring in the reserves (see Figures 5A and 5B for breakdown by cause). A fire awareness package should be developed and delivered. Through individual meetings and workshops the messages can be given and adjusted by regional user group trends (eg four wheel drive, tasmanian aquaculture and fishing institute clubs).

In addition, the Department is part of a working group with Tasmania Fire Service in the development of Community Alert messaging. The Department will continue to work towards the development and utilisation of standard bushfire warnings and prevention messaging, including the need for care with campfires, barbecues and planned fire messages.

The fire management awareness component of the existing Discovery Ranger program should continue to be upgraded, as only through education can we enact change in culture. A new fire awareness kit was developed and presented to the Discovery Ranger staff so that knowledge transfer from fire management staff can be initiated. Fire management staff could accompany Discovery Rangers in their roving activities so that the fire management message can be passed on to the recreational public. Additional support should be provided to the Discovery Ranger program off season so that the awareness message can be provided to both school and youth groups through presentations. All existing departmental

pamphlets should include fire awareness and fire management information for the general public, and provide additional contact leads for interested individuals or groups.

Recent experience has identified that a significant percentage of the public do not understand the importance of fuel reduction burning, nor do they appreciate what a planned burn may look like. Thus an education program is required that includes these messages:

• Fuel reduction burning is essential to protect communities from devastating bushfires.

• Lots of smoke and large flames will be produced by planned fires that are safely under control.

Campfires It has been by noted by staff that in 2010 there was an increase in abandoned or unattended campfires on reserved land. These can pose an elevated bushfire threat.

Reserves which continue to allow the use of open fires should install properly engineered fireplaces and enforce their exclusive use only or evaluate the social impact of initiating a total open fire ban. Formal site plans should be developed for reserve areas that show a high incidence of abandoned campfires. Any site developed should be designed as per Australian Standards AS3959–1999 and comply with the provisions of the Fire Service Act 1979 (eg the requirement for 3 metre clearance during the permit season, or 6 metres from highly flammable vegetation). The original fire reporting system had not allowed for the capture of this information and therefore the data is not presently included in BRAM. The Forestry Operation Database (FOD) has been modified to incorporate this information so that in the future this data can be captured.

Notably, the data accumulated for the 2010 season for the region indicated that the Lime Bay State Reserve had 75% of all recreation fire occurrence (see Table 8: Incidence ofAbandonedCampfires2010). The affected areas in this reserve should be assessed and modified by the installation of engineered campfire structures and/or the removal of adjacent fuel accumulations to help reduce the potential for a bushfire to occur. In addition, the area should be monitored under increased patrols to educate and curb the inappropriate practice. The following actions are recommended for Lime Bay State Reserve:

1. Develop a site plan prioritised based on risk

2. Designate areas where fires are allowed

3. Design and install fireplaces

4. Education

5. Enforcement.

The Department has identified a need to develop a fire sign strategy. There is a need to provide clear, consistent and timely information to the public on what and where activities are allowed or restricted along with the present fire situation.


Table 8: Incidence of Abandoned Campfires 2010

Reserve Name Total Number of Fires

Lime Bay State Reserve 15

Tasman National Park 1

Franklin–Gordon Wild Rivers National Park

3

Southwest Conservation Area 1

Enforcement A program should be developed and directed toward malicious and irresponsible individuals or companies that show disregard for the legislation and the damage that they cause by bushfires. A process should be developed to investigate all human-caused fire, and if appropriate, charges should be laid under the existing legislation. Options will be investigated to review existing legislation to allow the Department to recover fire suppression costs.

Changes have occurred in the National Parks and Reserve Land Regulations 2009 which will assist departmental staff in designating appropriate locations for allowing or not allowing open fires. Since arson still accounts for 28% of fire occurrence, areas with a high incidence of suspicious ignitions should be monitored closely by patrols, particularly at times of severe fire weather (eg FDI 25).

PWS should develop enforcement protocols which could include the following:

• The formation of working groups with investigators from Tasmania Police and Tasmania Fire Service to review case files for all fires of suspicious origins. (All efforts should be made to assist in the apprehension of these individuals.)

A significant percentage of the fires have been caused by escapes from adjacent landowners. Existing 2008 incident statistics from the Tasmania Fire Service indicate that once the permit season was initiated, the incidence of vegetation fires in the southern region dropped by 30%. Discussion should be initiated with the Tasmania Fire Service to encourage the development of a standard permit season policy, as statistics clearly indicate that there is a reduction of vegetation fire incidents once the declared permit period is in place. A process in which all fires must be registered pre- and post-season would greatly assist duty officers’ ability to look pro-actively for possible hazardous threats to the reserves.

Engineering A program will be focused on all infrastructure located within the reserve system, both PWS and privately owned.

Developed sites should be designed in accordance with the Tasmania Fire Service document Guidelines for Development in Bushfire Prone Areas in Tasmania. Existing PWS structures which do not reach the standards should be tracked through the Information Management System with the scheduled maintenance to convert facilities to standards when possible (see Figure 7). Some of the sites will be assessed on whether they are compliant with Guidelines forDevelopmentinBushfireProneAreasinTasmania. When this pre-incident triage has been completed it will provide valuable information enabling the most effective use of the limited suppression resources of PWS in line with State Fire Commission Policy Statement 1/07 (see Appendix 5). Visitors to sites deemed un-defendable may be protected by the development of an effective emergency response plan with pre-identified escape routes and ‘nearby safer places’ if available, and educated about the inherent risks which native vegetation poses during a bushfire.

Figure 7: Adamsfield Historical Hut

Before Packers Spur fire, 2007

After Packers Spur fire, 2007


Private infrastructure or companies operating through the existing lease and license program should be externally audited to determine the level of bushfire risk to their operations and assets (see photo, Appendix 6). Conditions could be applied through the lease or license renewal program under Section 48 of the National Parks and Reserves Management Act 2002 to ensure that all buildings are compliant to AS3959-2009 (Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas) and PWS policy. This legislation will provide a framework to allow the Department to apply fire management operating conditions to individuals or companies that operate within the reserves.

Where in some situations due to design or site location, compliance is not economic, socially or environmentally desirable, individual site fire control or evacuation plans could be initiated to help mitigate the risk of loss. In some situations acceptance of the inherent risk may be necessary. Wherever possible, all new sites should conform to the above referenced documents.

Fire Trail Guidelines Throughout the reserve system lies a network of fire trails which should be maintained using the standards specified in the PWS document Fire Management Infrastructure Categories and Standards as a guide. In general the reserves in the region have a poor network of fire trails, breaks and waterholes. Some reserves such as Peter Murrell State Reserve, Coningham NRA and Lime Bay State Reserve have an adequate network of tracks. The inventory in Table 9 covers nine reserves. The remaining reserves require formal assessments to determine where tracks, breaks and waterholes are required. The strategy is to use the BRAM to help guide and prioritise the development of an effective network of fire trail infrastructure in reserves which are under high and extreme risk. To be of strategic value, fire trails should be located in the following situations:

1. adjacent to the assets which they require to protect

2. leading to strategic water sources

3. breaking up large tracts of contiguous flammable vegetation and fuels

4. facilitating access and egress from reserves

5. providing boundaries for planned burning blocks.

All built-up fuel loads within the perimeter of the asset protection zone (see below) should be identified and dealt with, otherwise the integrity of protection will be in question. Fire trails and breaks which are located on multi-jurisdictional land tenure (eg unallocated Crown land or local government land) should be identified, and formal memorandums of understanding should be developed to provide clear direction and authority identifying responsibilities. Fire trail access should be controlled through gating, and locked through a tiered key system with the level of access control coordinated through the regional office with master access allowed for fire management staff.

Standard naming procedures should be followed as outlined below (eg Meehan Range Nature Recreation Area Class 5 Fire Trail number 25 (as shown in photo, Figure 8) identified as MRNRA5025). This method would avoid confusion and help identify trails for tracking and maintenance scheduling. A reserve naming nomenclature has been developed for planned burns and should be utilised in a similar way.

Figure 8: Meehan Range Trail Class 5


Table 9: Strategic Fire Trails

Reserve Name Trail Name Class Type ID #

Meehan Range State Recreation Area

Firetrail MR1 Class 5 MR1



Meehan Range Nature Recreation Area

Firetrail MR23 Class 5 substandard MR23





Lime Bay State Reserve

Sloping Lagoon North Fire Trail Class 5

Monk Bay Fire Trail Substandard Class 5

Cardwell Ridge Boundary Fire Trail Class 5

Mount Stewart Boundary Fire Trail Class 5

Coal Mines West Fire Trail Class 5

Sloping Lagoon South Fire Trail Class 5

Tasman National Park

Fire Trail SP02 Class 5 SP02

Fire Trail SP03 Class 5 SP03

Fire Trail SP05 Substandard Class 5 SP05



Pirates Bay Nature Recreation Area Cashs Lookout Fire Trail Substandard Class 5

Tasman Arch State Reserve

Doo Town Boundary Fire Trail assess upgrade to Class 5

Tasman Arch Boundary Fire Trail Substandard Class 5

Peter Murrell State Reserve and Conservation Area

Scarborough Fire Trail Class 3

Middle Fire Trail Class 3

Howden Fire Trail Class 3

Coffee Creek Fire Trail Substandard Class 5 – relocate portion to adjacent field

Perimeter Fire Trail Class 5

Snug Tiers Nature Recreation Area

Pelverata Falls Fire Trail Substandard Class 5 ST04

Fire Trail ST01 Substandard Class 5 ST01



Coningham Nature Recreation Area

Fire Trail CON01 Class 5 CON01




Fire Trail CON06 Substandard Class 5 CON06

North South Fire Trail Substandard Class 5


Strategic Water SourcesPresently the Department has a heavy reliance on light vehicle water tankers when suppressing bushfires. The assessment, inventory, classification and enhancement of water source availability within our reserve system would greatly assist the department when responding to fires. These units have a small carry capacity and require frequent refills to complete a normal operation.

PlanningFuel is the only component of a fire environment that can be altered to reduce the probability of the occurrence of intense bushfires (McArthur 1962). For reserves where they exist, the statutory management plans provide some direction as to which mitigation strategies are acceptable. PWS will use the Fire Management Zone framework (see below), which is aligned with the draft General Management Plan – Southern Region (soon to be released internally), to help guide what the site-specific strategy process will be.

Fire Management ZonesThe development of Fire Management Zone protocols will assist in providing operational direction for prioritising bushfires occurring within landscape areas, along with providing direction for mitigation strategies. Zoning protocols, along with all strategies, will be re-assessed on an ongoing basis to determine whether objectives are being achieved or require modification. The aim is to designate all reserved land into one of the four categories of fire management zone. Some reserves may have one or more areas designated to one or more of the zone categories. The four zone categories and protocols associated with each are described below. Appendix: Map 24 indicates the zones at a regional scale – for detailed examination and analysis of the zones it is necessary to utilise a geographic information system on computer which enables zooming in to a suitable scale (only PWS tenure displayed). It also highlights the impact that adjacent neighbouring assets have on our reserves system (eg narrow reserves which have no inventoried values may show up as a APZ1 due to adjacent assets). The Strategic Fuel Management Zone is developed using the inventory of TASVEG on all tenure.

An asset for the purpose of the zoning methodology is generically defined as a feature either human-made or natural, of significant value, in which a fire would have a negative impact. In the case of some natural assets, inappropriate fire regimes may also have a negative impact. In this respect the process could be aided by convening an expert panel charged with developing a comprehensive list of species or communities at risk, mapping their location and the development of management prescriptions. Many of these entities do not have sufficient information to determine management prescriptions, and this should be listed as a priority for additional research and monitoring.

Asset Zone

Primary Purpose – geographic location of asset(s) of high value or importance

General Location – the physical boundary of the asset

General Characteristics – the area involved could be variable in size depending on the value in question (eg hut or threatened flora and fauna polygon)

Suppression Guidelines – use of a full range of pre-suppression and suppression tactics. The use of machinery is not permitted unless approved in the management plan or by the Regional Manager, and is subject to machinery hygiene prescriptions.

Asset Protection Zone

Primary Purpose – Area of high strategic importance to protect values in asset zones. Bushfires will be managed on a priority basis to confine spread and extinguish.

General Location – Areas generally adjacent or upwind from locations of high significant values in asset zones. Level 1 APZ adjacent to neighboring houses may be equivalent to the Building Protection Zone and or Fuel Modified Buffer Zone of the TFS GuidelinesforDevelopmentinBushfireProneAreas of Tasmania.

Level 1 <50 m wide, identifying where further assessment is required to determine mitigation actions

Level 2 < 1 kilometre wide, identifying where further assessment is required to determine mitigation actions

Mitigation Actions – Treated areas will be variable in size and shape, depending on the type of value that requires protecting, and spatial characteristics of the site which are available to be modified. Treatments may include mechanical fuel modification (eg slashing), fuel reduction burning, evacuation or engineering (eg a sprinkler system). Not all parts of all asset protection zones will be treated – the zones are intended to help guide treatment options, priorities and location. Consideration must be made for natural and human-made features when defining the treatment boundaries, such as fuel type/load, slope, hydrology and access trails. Maintain appropriate fire regimes as far as possible throughout as much of the vegetation as possible in the design of treatment.

Suppression Guidelines – use of a full range of pre-suppression and suppression tactics. The use of machinery is not permitted unless approved in the management plan or by the Regional Manager, and is subject to machinery hygiene prescriptions.


Strategic Fuel Management Zone

Primary Purpose – Aarea of management that will increase the likelihood of controlling a bushfire within or the forward spread through the area, along with minimising the potential for a bushfire to achieve a size greater than 5 000 ha.

General Location – Areas will be located strategically in fuel types of high or greater flammability (see Forest Fuels); size greater than 5 000 ha; taking into consideration natural and man-made attributes to provide anchor points.

General Characteristics – Fuel will be managed by prescribed burning of areas of suitable vegetation of sufficient size and continuity to act as a barrier to fire spread by reducing rate of spread, intensity, spotting under 90th percentile (see Table 4) of fire weather by methods and resources available. The aim will be, however, to maintain appropriate fire regimes for the vegetation and biodiversity/ geodiversity assets as far as possible.

Suppression Guidelines – Fse of a full range of pre-suppression and suppression tactics. The use of machinery is not permitted unless approved in the management plan or by the Regional Manager, and is subject to machinery hygiene prescriptions.

Table 10: Threatened Flora Priority Areas

Scientific name Justification Description Location Priority

Ozothamnusreflexifolius Frequent burns combined with drought has the potential to eliminate species. Exclude fire Mt Direction Exclusion

Pherosphaera hookeriana Fire sensitive species. Exclude fire Mt Field Exclusion

Lomatia tasmanica Bushfire may kill plant and increase risk of infection by Phytophthora

Exclude fire from known sites, burn adjacent button grass at 8-15 yr intervals Bathhurst Range Exclusion

Corunastylis morrisii At risk of inappropriate fire regimes Preferred interval 8-15yrs Ida Bay High

Prasophyllum castaneum Inappropriate fire regimes inhibits recruitment or eliminate species

Preferred interval 8-15 years, mosaic, autumn

Pineapple Rocks Track and Mt Brown High

Spyridium lawrencei Too frequent fire may impact species Preferred interval 10-25 years, autumn Blindburn Creek and The Thumbs

High-B, Low-T

Euphrasia fragoas Overgrown vegetation inhibits recruitment and growth Preferred interval 15-20 years, autumn Mt Bleak (Labillardiere

Peninsula) High

Euphrasia phragmostoma Overgrown vegetation inhibits recruitment Preferred interval 15-20 years, mosaic, autumn Dolomieu Point Very Low

Proasophyllum tunbridgense, Scleranthus diander, Brachyscome rigidula, Leucochrysum albicans subsp. albicans var. tricolor

Lack of disturbance may inhibit recruitment Preferred interval 4-8 yr, late summer, autumn

Township Lagoon Nature Reserve High

Mirbelia oxylobioides Lack of fire may lead to sensecence and drop in viability of soil stored seed bank

Preferred interval 8-20 years, mosaic, autumn

Heathy Hills Nature Reserve Medium

Eucalyptus morrisbyi Dense grassy ground layer may inhibit recruitment Watch Calvert Hill Nature

Reserve Low

Hibbertia basaltica, Cryptandra amara

Lack of fire may lead to a reduction in recruitment and plant sensecence Watch after PB 2010 Pontville High

Epacris stuartii Inappropriate fire a threat Watch refer to TSS census Southport Bluff Low

Spyridium eriocephalum var. eriocephalum

Too frequent fire allied with drought may be detrimental to species

Watching, Fire Management Plan required

East Risdon State Reserve Low

• Threatened Species Section (2010). Prioritisation of Threatened Flora and Fauna, Recovery Actions for the Tasmanian NRM Regions. Nature Conservation Report 10/03 Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Hobart.


Land Management Zone

Primary Purpose – Fire management in the zone is to maintain appropriate fire regimes for the landscape vegetation communities, species diversity and cultural heritage. Land management zones will have secondary zones within them that have specific fire management requirements for ecological, research, cultural or other reasons.

General Location – Areas remote from significant visitor use and assets that are damaged by fire.

General Characteristics – Vegetation burning should be managed in such a fashion that will provide a mosaic of post-fire ages which falls within the range of ecological requirements of the flora and fauna present. Secondary land management zones will have prescriptions attached to guide the land managers to achieve the zone’s objectives. Specific fire regimes can be managed for single species management (eg Orange-bellied Parrot) but generally managed at a vegetation community scale.

Suppression Guidelines – use of suppression tactics of minimal intervention only to maintain appropriate fire regime or to ensure a fire location stays within the zone. The use of machinery is not permitted unless approved in the management plan or by the Regional Manager, and is subject to machinery hygiene prescriptions.

Ecological Management – Risks to species and ecological communities from inappropriate fire regimes have not been thoroughly assessed therefore identified. This process could be rectified by identifying the species and communities at risk, determining appropriate fire regime, mapping the location and creating secondary land management zones along with management prescriptions.

Planned Fire StrategyPlanned fire is used for vegetation management, habitat management and value protection (ie fuel reduction or modification). Planned fire is also used as a means to restore fire disturbance patterns over the landscape by the introduction of controlled burns that closely mimic the natural range of fire variation in the area. With a coordinated approach, a prioritisation hierarchy can be developed so that multiple land management objectives can be achieved in a single burn.

As a general principle, only those vegetation communities identified by Pyrke and Marsden-Smedley (2005) as having a low fire sensitivity are suitable for planned burning, including buttongrass moorland, dry sclerophyll forest and woodland, dry scrub, coastal scrub, heathland and native grassland.

Planned burning will be undertaken primarily in Asset Protection Zones and Strategic Fuel Management Zones, with priority given to areas where the risk to values is the highest, as identified by the BRAM. Planned burning may also be undertaken in all zones when and where there is an identified need for species or communities that require fire. Table 10 identifies areas of threatened plants: these sites require the introduction of fire to maintain population diversity and richness. Once areas can be identified for fauna purposes they will be added; however at this time the information is not available.

Not all of the native vegetation within Asset Protection Zones, Strategic Fuel Management Zones and Land Management Zones is amenable to planned burning. For example, most of the Asset Protection Zone identified by Map 24 in the Southwest National Park identified for water catchment is Eucalyptus delegantensi forest and Athrotaxis selaginoides. Planned burning would not be appropriate in these vegetation types because of the very long fire intervals required to maintain biodiversity and vegetation structure.


Methodology for the IdentIfIcatIon of regIonal PrIorIty areas wIthIn asset ProtectIon Zones

This section describes the methodology to translate the fire management zones and strategies described above into plans for operations that will be implemented within the region.

The Southern Region will be subdivided into workable management units, for example, either by Parks and Reserve Manager jurisdictional areas or by local government council boundaries. Within the defined area all reserves will be examined utilising the methodology listed below. The summary outcome will be a Permanent Fire Management Zone layer with a list and maps of priority blocks by prescription methods.

STEP 1: Overlay the extreme and high risk outputs from the BRAM model against the single layer developed for Fire Management Zones (see Appendix: Map 25 – Southern Region Fire Mitigation Priorities). Assets zone data will be acquired from the BRAM models Values at Risk layer for Constructed, Forestry/Agriculture components (which has achieved a value score of 80 or greater and is within 1 km of PWS reserves) and developed Natural Values (threatened flora priority areas and identifed for faunas from point data set for sedentary species and critical habitat for vulnerable or endangered species).

STEP 2: Assess the common area identified (Working Fire Management Zone layer) and then determine what management prescription is acceptable: mechanical fuel reduction (eg slashing), planned fire, engineering, or evacuation.

STEP 3: Overlay existing approved plans for planned burning and mechanical fuel reduction (eg fire management plans, fire management strategies and burn programs approved through the RAA process or equivalent) against the common area identified in Step 2.

STEP 4: The areas not covered by the existing approved plans should then be assessed for treatment options.

STEP 5: Site-specific treatments will then be developed for the areas (ie engineering, emergency reponse planning, planned burns), including consideration and utilisation of existing features for unit boundaries (ie trails, topography, fuel load and type). The fire sensitivity and suitability of the vegetation type for prescribed burning must be considered.

STEP 6: Prepare a map, or maps, at an appropriate scale of the ‘defining’ treatments within the designated management unit.

STEP 7: The proposed reserve fire management strategy will be assessed through the annual planned burning RAA or annual fire management works RAA.

STEP 8: Zones will be reconfigured once the development and application of individual reserve fire management strategies have occurred. This information will be input back into the zoning database and will create the Permanent Fire Managment Zone layer.

In areas within APZs, where the above assessment has identified that fuel modification is required, hazards and fuel loads within the zone should be mitigated to a level to enable bushfire containment under 90th percentile of fire weather (see Table 6 for FDI values) by methods and resources available.

Within Level 1 APZs, modification of fuel arrangements should be intended to allow for the safe deployment of suppression resources within the zone to defend the asset value, or modified in such a fashion that would increased success rate for suppression action if not pre-deployed. Fuel Hazard Levels should be maintained at low (Overall Fuel Hazard Guide for South Australia).

Within Level 2 APZs, modification of fuel loads is intended to facilitate increased success rate for suppression action. Fuel Hazard Levels should be maintained at or below moderate (Overall Fuel Hazard Guide for South Australia).

Based on the draft data available, Appendix: Map 22 has identified the initial areas in Step 2 to be re-evaluated for mitigation priorities. Existing approved plans along with threatened flora priority areas will be evaluated against the outputs generated by this process for verification and prioritisation for mitigation areas. Attempts will be made to collect similar data for priority areas for threatened fauna and incorporate it in the process. The process will be redefined as the model goes through its improvement stages.

The Department should support the development of a bushfire community protection project and re-establish and support active fire area management committees. The objectives of these projects should be:

1. Development of emergency response plans for reserves that have visitors at high risk

2. Identification of ‘nearby safer places’ within our reserves if they exist.


Table 11: Summary of Strategies for Prevention

STRATEGy APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF ACTION WHO TO ACTION RESOuRCE STATuS

EducationDevelopment of fire awareness presentations Fire Management Section/

Region un-resourced

Discovery Ranger awareness Fire Management Section ongoing

Campfire Campfire and sign strategy Region un-resourced

Enforcement Development of enforcement protocols Fire Management Section ongoing

Engineering

Assessment of PWS infrastructure Region/ Assessment Management Group ongoing

Assessment of private infrastructure on PWS tenure Leases/Licenses Section un-resourced

Inventory, classification, maintenance and identification of fire trails Region ongoing

Inventory, classification of water source locations Region un-resourced

PlanningDevelopment of fire management zone procedures Fire Management Section ongoing

Re-defining and ground truthing of zones Region ongoing

Emergency response plans Fire Management Section un-resourced

the scene within 30 minutes. In some situations the critical time period for the fire or fires to escalate to uncontrollable size may be even shorter than 30 minutes.

In some situations it maybe warranted to have a tactical air observer available to assist in providing fire intelligence back to the fire duty officers if community messages or fire prioritisation is required.

Fire Danger Index values triggers will be used to assist staff to determine the level of readiness or positioning of resources that are required (see Table 12).

The existing suppression system will be reviewed to determine whether any enhancement can be made to the program to improve suppression effectiveness. In the course of the development of the Suppression Capabilites layer of the Bushfire Risk Assessment Model (BRAM), a comprehensive list of factors were inputted and evaluated to determine where the existing standard procedures provided adequate detection and suppression coverage state-wide. Significantly, areas of no coverage or little coverage were also discovered, and are viewable as a separate output layer of the model.

Whenever and wherever possible, fire fighting resources should be placed in areas which exhibit ‘High to Extreme’ risk as long as the existing and forecast weather intelligence supports that decision. To assist in the effectiveness of this initiative we have developed processes within the Department:

5. Preparedness

5.1 ContextPreparedness controls are designed to mitigate the impact. Preparedness means all the activities that make organisations ready and better able to respond to bushfires.

5.2 ObjectiveA program should be in place to have sufficient staff, resources or processes in place to action incidents.

Alert levels need to increase as the fire weather danger increases.


The ideal objective is to provide sufficient initial attack capability with the aim of suppressing and containing, within 24 hours, any fire that threatens values. At times, however, even with all the strategies and actions in this section, PWS acknowledges that resources may not be adequate to achieve this ideal objective.

When the Fire Danger Index is 18 or higher, any fire will be difficult to contain with initial attack unless several crews are on

*Register of un-resourced Strategies (see Appendix 10)


1. The identification of accessible departmental accommodation to assist in limiting travel time to and from areas of high risk (see listing in Fire Action Plan).

2. The identification of strategic staging areas for helicopters to maximise area coverage by helicopter of PWS-managed land.

3. In collaboration with Forestry Tasmania, development of plans to use fixed-wing water-bombing aircraft, including identification and improvement of suitable airstrips.

Table 12: Preparedness Matrix

Fire Danger Index Shift Times ON DuTy Dispatch Times Actions/Resource Requirements

Pre-Fire Season Regular hours < 60 minutes Fire equipment serviceable.

1 to 11 Low – Moderate Regular hours < 30 minutes Vehicle equipped with appropriate fire gear.

12 to 24 HighRegular start with possible evening extension based on risk

< 15 minutesAll staff must carry PPE and remain contactable.

Assess the need for pre-positioning of fire crew.

25 to 49 Very High

Fire Weather WarningPossible staggered shifts with evening extensions 5 minutes

Daily fire action plans are prepared.

Spotter flights required based on risk.

Pre-position and patrol of both ground units and rotary wing to area of concern.

Activation of Incident management team will be considered.

Activation of a tactical air observer will be considered.

Trail and reserve closure will be implemented.

Hot works shutdown to occurin reserves.

Campfire restrictions implemented.

50 plus Severe, Extreme, Catastrophic

Total Fire Ban

Possible staggered shifts with evening extensions 5 minutes

MAC group assess the availability of interstate support resources.

Total closure of specified reserves and trails implemented.

Level 3 Incident Management Teams along with resources may be pre-positioned.

It should be noted that the BRAM is a decision support tool and should be used in conjunction with staff knowledge to make the best informed operational decision. Regional staff could use existing outputs such as Suppression Capabilites and Values at Risk maps to make adjustments to resource deployment to improve daily coverage assessments.

Additional computer support models should be developed as an enhancement to the BRAM Version 2 to determine daily and forecast bushfire risk. This information can assist with making operational decisions on resource deployment.

PlanningA Daily Fire Action Plan has been developed and will be enhanced to assist PWS staff evaluate risk and determine whether threats are located adjacent to areas of high value. The plan will assist making appropriate adjustments or pre-placement of additional response units geographically as close as possible to the threat and improve effectiveness (see Appendix 7: Daily Fire Action Plan). This pro-active process will reduce the assembly and response time of resources to a fire location and therefore support increased containment success rate and decrease area and/or value loss. This information will be made available to the other fire agency duty officers through the PWS state duty officer, which will help to implement the existing MAC protocols.

There is a need to review the biosecurity protocols established through Keeping it Clean (Allan and Gartenstein, 2010) of all staff involved in operations.

A daily detection plan should be developed to ensure that the appropriate detection agents (eg fire towers, spotter

flights) are in place and operating when the fire danger risk is forecast to exceed 25 FDI. A FDI value of 24 and/or forecast lightning event over areas will trigger the need for the initiation of spotter flights and linked via the Daily Fire Action Plan. The Detection Layer of the BRAM indicates where the existing detection gaps are located (see Appendix: Map 23). The flight paths of spotter flights, ground and air patrol units will be adjusted to ensure that gaps are covered between manned fire towers coverage. The need for additional ground observation locations can also be evaluated and implemented during high risk periods. Forecast lightning may also require pre-positioning and readiness of helicopters and initial attack crews at appropriate locations.

The development of pre-suppression plans for reserves that exhibit high to extreme risk profiles that cannot be mitigated could enhance suppression effectiveness. The plan could include table top bushfires scenarios identifying trigger points, control lines and suppression options.


TrainingA training program review should be put in place to ensure that staff are competent, and that training is delivered in a standard fashion. The review should also identify any training short comings to the present program and help support the development of any new course requirements.

The updating of the existing statement of duties, along with a performance management system to reflect departmental needs in fire management, would greatly assist in addressing specific resource shortages.

ResourcingDevelopment of a procedure to utilise employees along with volunteers in non-combatant fire roles would greatly enhance the resourcing shortage when a fire occurs. A review of fitness

Table 13: Summary of Strategies for Preparedness


Planning

Develop a daily fire action plan Region ongoing

Develop a detection plan Region un-resourced

Develop pre-suppression plan Region un-resourced

Training

Review and update departmental training program Fire Management Section

update Position SOD HR/Fire Management Section ongoing

Review and update staffs WLATS Region

Resourcing

Develop process to utilise non-fire-active PWS and non-PWS staff in non-combatant roles

Fire Management Section/HR un-resourced

Develop a process to assess annual resource allocation Region un-resourced

Develop infrastructure protection unit component for light tanker Fire Management Section un-resourced

6. Fire Response

6.1 ContextFire response controls are designed to mitigate the impact once the incident occurs.

6.2 ObjectiveReduce the deleterious impacts of fire on life, the environment and assets whilst acknowledging that fire is a natural part of the environment (eg regular fire is required for regeneration and habitat maintenance in heathland and dry forest communities but has detrimental effects in peat, alpine and rainforest communities).


The ideal goal of a successful program is to arrive on the scene when the fire is in such a state and size that the available resources dispatched can control and contain it within the first burning period (before 10 am the following day). Fire reponse should not cause environmental damage through incursion of weeds and pathogens as a result of soil disturbance using machinery or creating access points for unauthorised users. The Bushfire Risk Assessment Model has attempted to collect a thorough database of all the constructed, forest/agriculture and natural values which are located within and/or adjacent to our parks reserves. The Values at Risk layer will display the priorities of values which can be used to help identify high value areas.

standard requirements for specific fire roles may also assist in the utilisation of staff who presently cannot meet the existing fitness requirements.

The region should develop a process to assess and review their equipment utilisation and allocation levels. Equipment may need to be shifted from low use areas or increased in areas of high use if the existing levels do not adequately provide for the area’s needs.

The Department owns and operates numerous infrastructure facilities, and should explore the opportunity to design an infrastructure protection response component to our fire suppression units.The modifications to our existing light tanker units with a combination of portable pumps, sprinklers and/or fire-gel products could be completed, increasing our effectiveness and reducing the risk to the personal safety of fire fighters in dealing with this type of situation.



FDI value triggers are recommended to be put in place to assist staff to know what the predicted fire behaviour in fuels will be and the type of suppression tactic which will be successful. Note that increased fuel loads, in conjunction with high Soil Dryness Index (SDI) values, drastically increase fire behaviour. The information below (see Tables 14, 15, 16, 17) will be used as a guide to assist staff in determining the correct type and amount of resources to dispatch to a bushfire at a given Fire Danger Index.

The strategies of burn-out and aerial ignition discussed in Tables 14 and 15 are not presently supported by the PWS training program. The opportunity to develop these skills from international training organisations should be explored.

The development and implementation of the Fire Management Zone protocols will assist in the assessment and priorisation of a single- and multi-fire start situation. Through the ongoing development of fire management reserve strategies the areas will be redefined and clarified.

ActionThrough staff training, the implementation of regional and state duty officer roster system along with the use of the Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System (AIIMS) being used during bushfires helps to ensure that knowledgable decision are being made.

The Department has existing policies, interagency protocols and procedures to guide our fire response (see Table 2). In addition, the Department has developed a variety of information guidelines to be utilised as decision support tools to assist staff in making knowledgable decisions for the specific response circumstances. Earth-moving equipment may be required to be used within the reserve system, although proper authorisation is required.

The existing interstate mutual aid agreement for fire fighting support with Victoria has been renewed and work is continuing to develop agreements with other interstate fire agencies. Additional procedures will be developed as information and resources become available.

Fire Danger Index

Head Fire Intensities (Kw/m)

Rate of Spread (km/hr)

Head Fire Flame Height (m) Strategy/Tactic

< 5 < 675 .09 2.0 Direct Attack: Hand Tools

5–12 675–1589 .26 5.0 Direct Attack: Hand Tools

12–24 1 589–3 105 .40 8. Anchor-Flank: Tankers/Aircraft

24–50 3105–7650 .85 14. Indirect: Tankers/Aircraft

50–100 7650–12 600 1.6 Crown Indirect: Burn-out

100 + >12 600 Crown Indirect: Aerial Ignition

Moorland Fire Danger Index

Head Fire Intensities (Kw/m)

Rate of Spread (Km/hr)

Head Fire Flame Height (m) Strategy/Tactic

<3 <900 .30 2.0 Direct Attack: Hand Tools

7 900 – 1800 .60 3.0 Anchor-Flank: Hand Tools

14 1800 – 3600 1.20 5.0 Indirect: Tankers/ Aircraft

30 3600 – 7200 2.40 7.5 Indirect: Aircraft

50 7200 – 10 800 3.60 10.0 Indirect: Burn-out

Table 14: Suppression Strategies – Dry Sclerophyll (fuel load@15 tonnes/ha)

Table 15: Suppression Strategies – Moorland Buttongrass (fuel load@10 tonnes/ha; 10 year old, medium productivity site)


Table 16: Typical Rate of Spread for Dry Sclerophyll Forest and Moorland Buttongrass, Time to 1.0 ha. and size at 1 hour response (after fire has established100m flame front)

Fire Danger Index FuEL TyPE

(fuel load 15t/ha)

TyPICAL FIRE BEHAVIOuR(Based on fire having already accelerated and established a 100m flame front)

FROS (m/min.) TIME TO 1.0 ha.

Size in 60 Minute TyPICAL FIRE TyPE

Range Average

FDI < 5 Dry Sclerophyll <1.5 <1.5 37.3 min 2.5 ha Ground Surface

FDI 6 – 12 Dry Sclerophyll 1.6–3.5 2.6 21.5 min 7.6 ha Surface

FDI 13 – 24 Dry Sclerophyll 3.6–6.8 5.3 10.6 min 31.8 ha Vigorous Surface/Torching

FDI 25 – 50 Dry Sclerophyll 7.2–14.2 10.7 5.2 min 129.4 ha Torching/Crown

FDI 51 – 100 Dry Sclerophyll >14.2 14.2 4 min 228 ha Active Crown

FDI > 101 Dry Sclerophyll Active Crown

MFDR 1 – 3 Moorland <4. 2.2 25.5 min 5.5 ha Surface

MFDR 4 – 5 Moorland 4.5–8 6.3 8.9 min 44.9 ha Running Surface

MFDR 6 – 12 Moorland 8–17 12.5 4.5 min 176.6 ha Vigorous Surface/ Spotting

MFDR 13 – 24 Moorland 18–34 26 2.2 min 764.1 ha Long Distance Spotting

MFDR 25 – 50 Moorland 35–70 52.5 1 min 3115.7 ha unpredictable

MFDR 51 – 100 Moorland > 70 > 70 unpredictable

NOTE: Table based on McArthur Mk5 (FDI) and Moorland Fire Danger Rating Models (MFDR). Drought Factor assumption 10.

The Bushfire Management Decision Support Matrix along with the Fire Management Zone protocols was developed to assist fire management staff to determine what the appropriate tactic and strategy for the specific reserve locations.

Table 17: Bushfire Management Decision Support Matrix

Zone Season/FDI Initial Attack Sustained Action

Asset All Yes Yes

Asset Protection All Yes Yes (will assess if required if it occurs in a proposed burn block)

Strategic Fuel Management

Fire Season : FDI>12 Yes – for the first burning period Fire will be assessed on whether it will stay within confines of the zone or if it

occurs in a proposed burn block. If confirmed fire may be monitored or if in question indirect attack tactics may be utilised to maintain fire within zone.

Outside season: FDI>12 No

Land ManagementFire Season : FDI>12 Yes – for the first

burning periodFire will be assessed on whether it will stay within confines of the zone, if confirmed fire will be monitored.

Indirect or direct suppression tactics will be employed if fire leaves zone.Outside season: FDI>12 No


Table 18: Summaries of Strategies for Response


Action Once a fire is reported, dispatch the closest and appropriate number of resources, if available

Regional Fire Duty Officer ongoing

Ensure that staff making the decision are competent at that level

Manager Fire Operations ongoing

Ensure, within limits of overall resource constraints, that sufficient support resources are in place to back up initial attack or shifting requirements

Regional Fire Duty Officer ongoing

Ensure decisions are made consistently Manager Fire Operations ongoing

regional/state duty officer systems. If a situation arises and conditions are warranted, internal or external support agencies are engaged to assist staff in dealing with the occurrence.

A procedure is in place to schedule debriefs after all type 3 incidents. Through this process, along with the year end summary debrief, the Department goes through a lessons learned procedure that will hopefully identify those things that worked and those which did not during the past season. These findings, if required, can then be used in adjusting policies or procedures for the upcoming seasons.

Fire RestorationTo aid in the implementation of this objective the Department should develop a bushfire rehabilitation guideline. Within the document will be a process that will assist an Incident Controller in a method which they can assess and address the short term negative impacts caused by a bushfire.

The additional development of a Bushfire Rehabililitation Response Plan process will be required to address long term negative impacts caused by large landscape bushfires. The process will identify specific trigger points which will activate the process, identifying the immediate and long term resource requirements, protocols for assistance from other agencies (eg Resource Management and Conservation Division), along with reporting procedures.

7. Recovery – Restoration7.1 ContextOnce a bushfire has been controlled and extinguished there is a need to have a Bushfire Rehabilitation Response Plan (BRRP)in place to prevent the recurrent and further degradation of the affected values.

7.2 ObjectiveAn effective, transparent, systematic and efficient management process to assess and restore the social, environmental and economic impact of a bushfire area back to a working and balanced state. It will be required to be implemented as soon as possible.

7.3 Strategies and Actions

Critical Incident ManagementThe Department trains all staff involved with bushfires in the process and implementation the Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System. One purpose of AIIMS is to provide a management framework for the effective and efficient control of incidents, and through its implementation provides mechanisms to minimise stress occurring.

Bushfire incidents are constantly monitored within the AIIMS system by the incident controller, or externally through the



8.1 ContextAn adaptive management process is imperative for a successful and positive fire management program. Establishment of standards, monitoring and reporting procedures will support and validate current and future program direction.

8.2 ObjectiveTo provide measurement standards to assess the effectiveness of the Strategic Fire Management Plan, subordinate operational plans and to provide a means to collect data that can be used in submission to the AFAC – Landscape Fire Performance Measures and PWS Strategic Plan – Performance Indicators.

8.3 Strategies and Actions

ReportingBushfireandPlannedBurnReportingIt is essential that good record-keeping is undertaken for bushfires and planned burns. This data is essential for fire management planning, the BRAM, risk assessment and reporting at many levels, including performance measures, annual reports etc. Regional staff must ensure that all reports for bushfires and planned burns are submitted to Fire Management Section in a timely manner in accordance with PWS policies and procedures.

Data CollectionFire data is a fundamental ecological dataset used widely for biodiversity planning, policy and management. It provides a basis for a range of biodiversity analysis and reporting from the State of the Environment Reports to State of the Forests and others. There is need for the Department to investigate options for high resolution mapping by remote sensing means of fires greater then 50 hectares and in forest types in which canopy inhibits assessments (eg rainforest). A method should be developed to determine where and when vegetation communities have been exposed to inappropriate fire regimes (eg too frequent burning). This ability to have an accurate account of annual fire impacts assists land management agencies in adjusting natural value prioritising in risk assessments.

Landscape Fire Performance Measures (Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council)

The Department this year will provide Phase 1 data for national reporting to the Productivity Commission for the 2005/06 to 2009/10 years. They are as follows;

A1 Fire Deaths due to Landscape Fires per 100 000 of populations

A3 Fire Injuries to fire fighters due to Landscape Fires per 100 000 of populations

E1 The number of landscape fires per 100 000 of populations

C1 The number of primary dwellings destroyed by landscape fires per 100 000 dwellings.

Table 19: Summary of Strategies for Recovery – Restoration


Critical Incident Management

Actively manage critical incident stress through incident debriefing and support mechanisms

Provide counselling to staff when required through the departmental Employee Assistance Program

Conduct external and internal all party debriefs

Manager Fire Operations ongoing

Fire Restoration

Assess the need for formal bushfire rehabilitation guideline during and after every fire

In the short term perform burn area stabilisation and rehabilitation work to protect social, economic and environment values

Development of BRRP guidelines, policies in regards to all impacts

Incident Controller

Fire Management Section – Planning/Policy Assurance, Resource Management and Conservation Division

un-resourced


8. Standards, Monitoring and Reporting


We will continue to redefine and work on the collection of Phase 2 indicators by 2011(see Appendix 8).

Performance Indicators (Strategic Plan 2008–2010)

Provide annual reporting figures on the following: a) percentage and area of land negatively impacted by bushfire; b) percentage and number of scheduled controlled burns successfully completed; and c) percentage and number of staff trained and actively involved in fire suppression.

Annual statistics will be analysed, taking into consideration seasonal and yearly fluctuations, to determine whether the fire management program of the strategic plan is supporting a reduction of negative impact caused by bushfires.

Operational Indicators

Track and monitor annual bushfire statistics to determine whether implemented operational strategies are successful and make adjustments where required.

Reporting

Consistent monitoring and reporting is crucial and required against identified performance indicators. A two-tier reporting system will capture information at both strategic and operational levels. The Fire Management Section is to report against set targets which are identified within the PWS Strategic Plan and will develop additional targets (eg percentage of ecological burns successfully completed; percentage of asset protection burns completed) in the Regional Strategic Fire


Reporting

Ensure fire and planned burn reports are complete and submitted in a timely manner

Region and Fire Management Section ongoing

Investigate options for remote sensing mapping Fire Management Section un-resourced

Investigate options for fire regime mapping and the additional reporting of the negative effects caused by bushfires

Fire Management Section un-resourced

Provide data for AFAC indicators Fire Management Section ongoing

Provide data for PWS Strategic Plan indicators Fire Management Section ongoing

Management Plans. Regional Fire Management Officers will report against individual targets set at the Regional Reserve Fire Management Strategies level. Reporting will be used to track program achievements and performance, and assist in decision-making.

A review of the Fire Management Program will occur on an annual basis, but major directional changes should not occur solely based on yearly statistical figures. A comprehensive review of the Strategic Fire Management Plan will occur every five years with annual assessments of operational plans to capture recent operational and scientific developments.

Table 20: Summary of Strategies for Standards, Monitoring and Reporting

*Register of un-resourced Strategies (see Appendix 10)*Register of un-resourced Strategies (see Appendix 10)


PWS should ideally develop a transparent and consistent approach for the identification and prioritisation of resource allocations for the implementation of the Strategic Fire Management Plan. The existing approaches used to evaluate resources required should not be discarded but should be used as support for the strategic direction. A summary of un-resourced strategies occurs on Appendix 9. Once additional program funds become available prioritisation could occur.

9.1 Management of the Regional Strategic Fire Management PlanThe Fire Management Section and Southern Region is responsible for the implementation of the plan. The functions required to monitor the implementation demand human, technical and physical resources and will be required consistently for the life of the plan.

The development of the Strategic Fire Management Plan aims to provide a workable document framework that can be adapted to the changing internal and external pressures. This collaborative process identifies PWS legal and moral

responsibilities and helps to identify its potential resource implications. It is clear that effective and efficient fire management strategies will require the sustained effort and resources of all fire management agencies within Tasmania.

9.2 Implementation of the Strategic Fire Management PlanSpecific aspects of the Strategic Fire Management Plan will generate demands on PWS and specific individuals responsible for them. In some areas significant effort will be required to keep the strategic focus through the life of the plan. Version 1 of the Southern Region Strategic Fire Management Plan will be reviewed, analysed and redefined with new data when available during the development of subsequent versions, therefore creating a living document.

The ongoing maintenance and updating of the BRAM will be required through the Fire Management Section. Annual data submission will be required from the stakeholders (eg Resource Management and Conservation Division, Forestry Tasmania, Gunns, Norske Skog, Private Forest, Hydro, Transend, Aurora).

9. Resource Requirements


10. Reference Documents

The following documents were used in the development of the Southern Strategic Fire Management Plan.

• AFAC Glossary.

• AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009 Australian Standard Risk Management.

• Alexander and Fogarty, 2002 New Zealand Forest Research – Fire Technology Transfer Note).

• Allan, Kaylene and Gartenstein, Simon, 2010 Keeping it Clean – A Tasmanian field hygiene manual to prevent the spread of freshwater pests and pathogens.

• Auld, TD, and O’Connell, MA,1989 Changes in predispersal seed predation levels after fire for two Australian legumes, Acacia elongata and Sphaerolobium vimineum. Oikos 54, 55-9.

• Australasian Fire and Emergencies Services Authorities Council, 2008 Landscape Fire Performance Measures.

• Benson, DH, 1985 Maturation periods for fire-sensitive shrub species in Hawkesbury Sandstone vegetation. Cunninghamia 1, 339-349.

• Bowman, DMJS, 1998 Tansley Review No. 101. The impact of Aboriginal landscape burning on the Australian biota. New Phytologist 140, 385-410.

• Bradstock, RA, and Auld, TD, 1995 Soil temperatures during experimental bushfires in relation to fire intensity: consequences for legume germination and fire management in south-eastern Australia. Journal of Applied Ecology 32, 76-84.

• Bradstock, RA, Keith, DA, and Auld, TD, 1995 Fire and conservation: imperatives and constraints on managing for diversity. In ‘Conserving biodiversity: threats and solutions’ (Eds R A Bradstock, T D Auld, D A Keith, R T Kingsford, D Lunney, and D P Sivertson), Surrey Beatty and Sons: Chipping Norton, pp. 323-333.

• Cary, GJ, and Morrison, DA, 1995 Effects of fire frequency on plant species composition of sandstone communities in the Sydney region: Combinations of inter-fire intervals. Australian Journal of Ecology 20, 418-426.

• Ellis, S, 2005 The Operational Safety Audit of Fire Management within the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service.

• Fire Management Infrastructure Categories and Standards.

• Gill, AM, and Groves, RH, 1981 Fire régimes in heathlands and their plant-ecological effects. In ‘Ecosystems of the World 9B. Heathlands and related shrublands’ (Ed R L Specht), Elsevier : Amsterdam, pp. 61-84.

• Gill, AM, and Bradstock, RA, 1992 A national register for the fire responses of plant species. Cunninghamia 2, 653-660.

• Harris, S, 1991 Coastal vegetation. In ‘Tasmanian native bush: a management handbook’. (Ed JB Kirkpatrick), Tasmanian Environment Centre: Hobart, pp. 128-147.

• Jones, D, 1988 ‘Native orchids of Australia.’ Reed: Forest, NSW.

• Keith, DA, and Bradstock, RA, 1994 Fire and competition in Australian heath: a conceptual model and field investigations. Journal of Vegetation Science 5, 347-354.

• King, Karen J, 2004 Simulating the Effects of Anthropogenic Burning Patterns of Biodiversity, 208-214.

• McArthur, AG, 1962 Control Burning in Eucalypt Forests.

• Morrison, DA, Cary, GJ, Pengelly, SM, Ross, DG, Mullins, BJ, Thomas, CR, and Anderson, TS, 1995 Effects of fire frequency on plant species composition of sandstone communities in the Sydney region: Inter-fire interval and time-since-fire. Australian Journal of Ecology 20, 239-247.

• Parks and Wildlife Service Strategic Plan 2008–2010.

• Parks and Wildlife Service (unpublished). Southern Region Strategic Fire Management Plan – Project Plan (2010). Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Hobart.

• Parks and Wildlife Service (unpublished). Bushfire Risk Assessment Model Project Business Process Model (2008). Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Hobart.

• Parks and Wildlife Service (unpublished). Tasmanian Bushfire Risk user Guide (2010). Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Hobart.

• Parks and Wildlife Service (unpublished). Tasmanian Bushfire Risk Assessment Model V3 (2010). Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Hobart.

• Parks and Wildlife Service, 2009 Northern Region Strategic Fire Management Plan. Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Hobart.

• Pyrke, AF, and Marsden-Smedley, JB, 2005 Fire-attributes categories, fire sensitivity, and flammability of Tasmanian vegetation communities. Tasforests 16, 35-46.

• Rawson, R, 2006 Review of Fire Management Risk. Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service.

• Specht, RL, and Specht, A, 1989 Species richness of sclerophyll (heathy) plant communities in Australia – the influence of overstorey cover. Australian Journal of Botany 37, 337-350.

• Tasmania Fire Service, 1995 Guidelines for Development in Bushfire Prone Areas in Tasmania.

• Threatened Species Section, 2010 Prioritisation of Threatened Flora and Fauna, Recovery Actions for the Tasmanian NRM Regions. Nature Conservation Report 10/03 Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Hobart.

• Tolhurst, K, 2000 Guidelines for Ecological Burning in Foothill Forest of Victoria.


Aerial Ignition: ignition of fuels by dropping incendiary devices or materials from aircraft

AFAC: Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council

Anchor: an advantageous location, usually a barrier to fire spread, from which to start constructing a fire line

APZ: asset protection zone

AS: Australian Standards document

AS/NZS: Australian/New Zealand Standard document

BOM: Bureau of Meteorology

BRAM: Bushfire Risk Assessment Model

BRRP: Bushfire Rehabilitation Response Plan

Burn-out: a fire set to consume islands of unburnt fuel inside the fire perimeter and between the fire edge and fireline

Bushfire: a general term used to describe a fire in vegetation

Community Fire Refuges: buildings identified by the TFS in partnership with councils and other government agencies that offer basic amenities including temporary shelter, drinking water and toilet facilities

Crown Fire: a fire that advances from top to top of trees or shrubs

Direct Attack: a method of fire attack where wet or dry fire fighting techniques are used. It involves suppression action right on the fire edge which then becomes the fireline

Emergency Response Plan: a document which helps provide direction to staff in case of an emergency

Fire Cycle: a period of time within which an area equal to the total vegetation type will be burned

FDI: Fire Danger Index

Fire Behaviour Potential: factors that would affect the development and propagation of a fire

Fire Frequency: total number of fires that occurred over a period of time

Fire Intensity: measurement of the amount of energy released per given length of flame front

Fire Preparedness: all activities undertaken in advance of an incident to decrease the impact, extent and severity of the incident and to ensure more effective response activities

Fire Prevention: all activities concerned with minimising the occurrence of incidents, particular those of human origin

Fire Recovery: the coordinated process of supporting emergency affected area in reconstruction

Fire Response: actions taken in anticipation of, during, and immediately after an incident to ensure that its effects are minimised

Fire Regime: a combination of variables of fire frequency, season of occurrence, fire severity and fire size which best describe a given landscape

Fire Severity: a general term most commonly used to describe the combined affects of both flaming combustion and smouldering combustion on either a bushfire or prescribed fire site as manifested in various fire behaviour characteristics (eg fire intensity, flame height and length, residence and burn-out times etc)

Fire Suppression: all activities concerned with controlling and extinguishing a fire following its detection; synonymous with fire control

Fire Type: true cause of fire ignition

Flammability Class: a method used to classify vegetation into similar flammable characteristics

Flank: obtaining control of a fire by attacking its side/s (flank/s)

FOD: Forestry Operations database

FROS: forward rate of spread

FT: Forestry Tasmania

Fuel Group: a method used to group vegetation types with similar fuel structure arrangements

FWD: four wheel drive

GIS: Geographic Information System

GM: General Manager of Parks and Wildlife Service

Ground Fire: fire that consumes the organic material beneath the surface litter ground, such as a peat fire

ha: hectares

Ignition Potential: a method to classify historical ignition records along with potential start from natural causes of occurrence which could indicate a risk

Indirect Attack: a method of suppression in which the control line is located some considerable distance away from the fire’s active edge. Generally done in the case of a fast-spreading or high-intensity fire and to utilise natural or constructed firebreaks or fuelbreaks and favourable breaks in the topography. The intervening fuel is usually backburnt; but occasionally the main fire is allowed to burn to the line, depending on conditions

IT: information technology

km/hr : kilometres per hour

Kw/m: kilowatts per metre

11. Glossary and Abbreviations


Likelihood: the combination of ignition potential, suppression capabilities and fire behaviour potential

Nearby Safer Place: an pre-identified area as close to your home as possible which is open area that offers some protection from radiant heat

Neighbourhood Safer Place: an area identified by Tasmania Fire Service which is likely to be an open area that offers some protection from radiant heat; it should only be used as a last resort

NERAG: National Emergency Risk Assessment Guide

m: metre

MAC: multi-agency coordinating group consisting of members from Forestry Tasmania, Tasmania Fire Service and Parks and Wildlife Service

MFDR: Moorland Fire Danger Rating

Pre-Suppression: activities organised in advance of fire occurrence to ensure effective suppression action and/or to minimise risk to humans and resource damage

PWS: Parks and Wildlife Service

Red Zone: computer software program designed to assess bushfire risk at a local scale

RFDO: Regional Fire Duty Officer

SDI: Soil Dryness Index

SFMP: Strategic Fire Management Plan

SOD: Statement Of Duties

Spotting: behaviour of a fire, producing sparks or embers that are carried by the wind and start new fires beyond the zone of direct ignition by the main fire

Suppression Capabilities: areas within the state where bushfire occurrences can be detected and actioned utilising existing fire management procedures and resources

Surface Fire: fire that burns loose debris on the surface, which includes dead branches, leaves and low vegetation

TAFI: Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fishing Institute

Tanker: a mobile fire fire fighting vehicle equipped with a water tank, pump, and the necessary equipment for spraying water and/or foam on bushfires

TASVEG: Tasmanian Vegetation Inventory System

TFS: Tasmania Fire Service

Torching: a tree (or small clump of trees) is said to candle when its foliage ignites and flares up, usually from the bottom to top

V1: Version 1

Values at Risk: object or location that holds a relative value

WLAT: Working , Learning and Achieving Together document

Wildfire: see bushfire


Appendix 1: Fire Planning Framework, Fire Planning Policy, Parks and Wildlife Service


Appendix 2: Southern Region Reserve Breakdown

Tenure Type – Conservation Area

Name Area (ha)

* 1644

Adamsfield Conservation Area 5371

Alpha Pinnacle Conservation Area 276

Boltons Beach Conservation Area 76

Brother and Sister Conservation Area 1

Calverts Lagoon Conservation Area 69

Cape de la Sortie Conservation Area 27

Chuckle Head Conservation Area 190

Clifton Beach Conservation Area 25

Devils Den Conservation Area 82

Eaglehawk Bay–Flinders Bay Conservation Area 479

Egg Islands Conservation Area 163

Fossil Cove Conservation Area 5

Gordons Ridge Conservation Area 164

Gravelly Ridge Conservation Area 2 294

Harry Walker Conservation Area 498

Judbury Conservation Area 100

Lake Dulverton Conservation Area 230

Little Quoin Conservation Area 289

Long Tom Conservation Area 20

Millingtons Beach Conservation Area 19

Molesworth Conservation Area 76

Mount Bethune Conservation Area 348

Mount Direction Conservation Area 698

Mount Faulkner Conservation Area 465

Mount Royal Conservation Area 130

Mount Rumney Conservation Area 10

Mountain Creek Conservation Area 325

Murphys Flat Conservation Area 70

Pelican Island Conservation Area 3

Peter Murrell Conservation Area 131

Port Cynet Conservation Area 109

Ralphs Bay Conservation Area 7

Randalls Bay Conservation Area 20

Raspins Beach Conservation Area 5

Roaring Beach Conservation Area 114

Sherwood Hill Conservation Area 555

South Arm Conservation Area 746

Southport Lagoon Conservation Area 4320

Southwest Conservation Area 182 723

Spinning Gum Conservation Area 487

Strickland Conservation Area 1 897

Surveyors Bay Conservation Area 45

Table Mountain Conservation Area 284

Tiger Rise Conservation Area 134

Truganini Conservation Area 42

Tunbridge Conservation Area 524

Waddles Creek Conservation Area 413

Wedge Island Conservation Area 44

White Kangaroo Conservation Area 28

Woodbridge Hill Conservation Area 217

Yarlington Conservation Area 68

un-named Conservation Area 20 211


Tenure Type – Game Reserve

Name Area (ha)

Bruny Island Game Reserve 2127

Lake Tiberias Game Reserve 993

Actaeon Island Game Reserve 36

Tenure Type – Historic Site

Name Area (ha)

Callington Mill Historic Site 0..5

Cemetery Point Historic Site 0.8

Coal Mines Historic Site 222

D’Entrecasteaux Monument Historic Site 0.6

D’Entrecasteaux Watering Historic Site 2

Eaglehawk Neck Historic Site 16

Female Factory Historic Site 0.3

George III Monument Historic Site 14

Kangroo Bluff Historic Site 3

Old Trinity Church–Criminal Courts Historic Site 0.2

Port Arthur Historic Site 147

Premaydena Point Historic Site 2

Richmond Gaol Historic Site 0.8

Shot Tower Historic Site 3

Tasman Monument Historic Site 0.1

Toll House Historic Site 0.1

Batchelors Grave Historic Site 0.1

Tenure Type – National Park

Name Area (ha)

Hartz Mountain National Park 7 142

Maria Island National Park 11 487

Mount Field National Park 15 721

South Bruny National Park 15 632

Southwest National Park 618 356

Tasman National Park 19 178

Franklin–Gordon Wild Rivers National Park 444 979

Tenure Type – Nature Recreation Area

Name Area (ha)

Gordons Hill Nature Recreation Area 37

Hope Island Nature Recreation Area 31

Knopwood Hill Nature Recreation Area 39

Meehan Range Nature Recreation Area 913

Pirates Bay Nature Recreation Area 46

Recherche Bay Nature Recreation Area 478

Rosny Hill Nature Recreation Area 21

Snug Tiers Nature Recreation Area 5571

South Arm Nature Recreation Area 68

Coningham Nature Recreation Area 491

Tenure Type – Nature Reserve

Name Area (ha)

Andersons Nature Reserve 403

Basin Nature Reserve 24

Betsey Island Nature Reserve 176

Calverts Hill Nature Reserve 71

Cape Bernier Nature Reserve 1536


Cape Deslacs Nature Reserve 88

Coal River Gorge Nature Reserve 211

Dennes Hill Nature Reserve 92

Dickinsons Nature Reserve 68

Duckholes Lagoon Nature Reserve 30

Elderslie Nature Reserve 101

Green Island Nature Reserve 7

Hardys Hill Nature Reserve 41

Heathy Hills Nature Reserve 189

Hospital Creek Nature Reserve 24

Huntingdon Nature Reserve 54

IIe Des Phoques Nature Reserve 8

Ironpot Nature Reserve 905

Isle of Caves Nature Reserve 2

Lachlan Island Nature Reserve 5

Ninepin Point Nature Reserve 62

Pelham Nature Reserve 49

Pelham North Nature Reserve 67

Pelham West Nature Reserve 294

Pitt Water Nature Reserve 811

Rocka Rivulet Nature Reserve 258

Spectacle Nature Reserve 8

Tinderbox Marine Nature Reserve 60

Tinderbox Nature Reserve 72

Township Lagoon Nature Reserve 17

Woodvine Nature Reserve 375

Africa Gully Nature Reserve 29

Tenure Type – Protected Area

Name Area (ha)

Seven Mile Beach Protected Area 1384

Tenure Type – State Recreation Area

Name Area (ha)

Meehan Range State Recreation Area 384

Tenure Type – State Reserves

Name Area (ha)

Derwent Cliffs State Reserve 5

Eaglehawk Bay State Reserve 34

East Risdon State Reserve 88

Echo Sugarloaf State Reserve 121

Hastings Cave State Reserve 122

Ida Bay State Reserve 436

Iron Pot State Reserve 2

Junee Cave State Reserve 22

Lime Bay State Reserve 1508

Marriotts Falls State Reserve 128

Mount Arthur State Reserve 4

Palmers Lookout State Reserve 0.8

Peter Murrell State Reserve 135

Quarantine Station State Reserve 131

Safety Cove State Reserve 24

Stewarts Bay State Reserve 84

Tessellated Pavement State Reserve 3

Three Thumbs State Reserve 3119

Waterfall Creek State Reserve 36

Dart Island State Reserve 16


Lightning Probability

BOM Professional Observation

Historical Fire Records

Fires (PWS-FT) 1966-2009

Optical Transient Detector

Strike Data 2006–2007 Fire Season

Fires (TFS) 1998-2009

Ignition Potential

Likelihood

Appendix 3A: Bushfire Risk Assessment Model Flow Diagram – Ignition Potential


Likelihood

Supression Capabilities

Optimum Bucketing Capabilities

Detection Capabilities

Ground Attack Coverage

Rotary Wing Attack Coverage

Hydrology – Large River/Lakes

Water Sources (FT/Gunns)

Fire Towers

Spotter Flights TFS Brigade Bases TFS Base

Commercial Fixed Wing Routes

PWS Bases PWS Bases

Appendix 3B: Bushfire Risk Assessment Model Flow Diagram – Suppression Capabilities


Consequences

Values at Risk

Natural ValuesForest/Agriculture ValuesConstructed Values

PWS–IMS

Neighbour

Production Forest Value Classes

Flora Values

Research Monitoring

Geo-MorphicAgriculture Production

Water Catchment

Ramsar Sites

Fauna Values

Wildland urban Interface

High Life Risk

Multi Occupancy

Single Occupancy

Businesses

Infrastructre

Critical Infrastructure

Burnable/Replaceable Infrastructre

Heritage Buildings

Non-Burnable

Appendix 3C: Bushfire Risk Assessment Model Flow Diagram – Values at Risk


Fuel Flammability Grid

Slope Factor Grid

Head Fire Intensity

90 Weather Percentile

Fuel Group

Rate of Spread

Fire Behaviour Potential

Likelihood

Appendix 3D: Bushfire Risk Assessment Model Flow Diagram – Fire Behaviour Potential


Appendix 4: Consequence Table


Appendix 5: State Fire Commission Statement Policy


Appendix 6: Infrastructure Development

Telstra Communication Tower – Wayatinah

Boardwalk damage


PWS Region? Region Daily Fire Action Plan

Date: ?

Duty Officer: Name and duty officer contact number

Situation:

Permit period? (yes/no)

Current fires in region

Staff deployments

General weather conditions / SDI

Recent trouble spots

Campgrounds with recent illegal fires

Likelihood of fire escapes

PRMs, Snr Rangers or Rangers In Charge or delegate — please instruct staff to:

Action Details provide details appropriate to the fire weather forecast

Carry PPE

No of slip on units ready / field centre

Staff rostered on / FDA

Walking track closures

Reserve closures

Monitor weather if conducting hot works*

No hot works*

Reserve fire restrictions

Total Fire Ban

1st response IMT nominated

* Hot work includes the use of grinders, welders, brush cutters, chainsaws, earth moving equipment and other tools and equipment likely to create sparks.

Appendix 7: Daily Fire Action Plan


Fire Weather Forecast: Cut and paste in the regions section of the BOM fire weather forecast like the example below:

IDT13130Bureau of Meteorology, HOBARTFire Weather ForecastIssued at 3:47pm on Friday the 27th of March 2009valid for Saturday 28/03/09---------------|----------|-------------------------|------------------|---- | Rain mm | Max Wind km/hr | Fire Danger Index|DrgtStation | 24hr 6hr|Temp RH% Dir Spd Dew | Forest Scrb Moor |Fact---------------|----------|-------------------------|------------------|----Tunnack | 0.0 0.0| 24 25 NW 25 3 | H15 N/A N/A | 7---------------|----------|-------------------------|------------------|-------------------|----------|-------------------------|------------------|----Hobart Apt | 0.0 0.0| 26 24 NNW 30 4 | VH24 N/A N/A | 9Hobart City | 0.0 0.0| 26 24 NNW 30 4 | VH24 N/A N/A | 9Mt Wellington | 0.0 0.0| 15 33 WNW 65 -1 | H15 H17 VH35 | 5Geeveston | 0.0 0.0| 25 28 NW 30 5 | H16 H23 H13 | 7Dover | 0.0 0.0| 24 31 NW 30 6 | H14 H23 H13 | 7Moogara | 0.0 0.0| 22 29 WNW 25 3 | H12 H19 N/A | 7Palmers Lookout| 0.0 0.0| 23 36 NW 20 7 | M8 M10 N/A | 6---------------|----------|-------------------------|------------------|----Ouse | 0.0 0.0| 27 23 WNW 30 4 | VH28 N/A N/A | 10Bushy Park | 0.0 0.0| 27 23 WNW 30 4 | VH25 N/A N/A | 9Maydena | 0.0 0.0| 24 31 W 20 6 | M11 H14 M8 | 7Low Rocky Point| 0.5 0.0| 20 53 NNW 55 10 | N/A N/A H12 | 9Scotts Peak | 0.5 0.0| 23 33 NNW 45 6 | H12 M10 M10 | 5---------------|----------|-------------------------|------------------|----SITUATION: A ridge of high pressure over Victoria will move over the Tasman Seatomorrow bringing a moderate to fresh northwest stream. An approaching troughand cold front to cross the state from the southwest on Sunday with a moderatesoutheast stream to develop on Monday as a high passes to the south of thestate. Moderate easterlies on Tuesday as the high moves away to our southeast.

WEATHER SUMMARY: Patchy drizzle tomorrow in the west, mostly clearing duringthe day. Fine elsewhere. Mild to warm with moderate to fresh northwest winds,locally strong in the southwest but lighter in the east.

Haines Index 5 High 1500m Temp= 13 1500m Dewpoint= -4 Fairly Dry

Region? IMT – First Response:

Position Name Mobile Backup

Incident Controller OperationsLogisticsPlanning Air Base Manager Safety Advisor Div Com 1

Helicopters:

Crew deployment for Date?

Location unit Staff Patrol Map

Deploy Time

Return Time

PRM Contact Instructions

Field Centre P25Joe Bloggs

Fred Nerk1 0800 1800 Ima

Nickanoff

Patrol:

Normal works + Fire Patrol 1, Mt Field and Mt Bethune

(list any specific instructions)

All patrols to maintain Communication Plan:

• Patrol supervisor FOO?

• Radio channels to use

• Comms instructions, eg call hourly


(list any specific instructions)

Appendix 8: Fire History Southern Region


Appendix 9: Register of un-resourced Strategies

State Responsibilities

SECTION STRATEGy TyPE ACTION

PreventionEducation

development of fire awareness presentations

development of emergency response plans

Engineering assessment of private infrastructure on PWS tenure

Preparedness Resourcing

develop a process to utilise non-fire-active PWS and non-PWS staff in non-combatant roles

develop infrastructure protection unit component for light tanker

Recovery Fire Restorationdevelopment of fire rehabilitation guideline

development of Bushfire Rehabilitation Response Plan process

Reporting Resourcing

determine options for accurate mapping of landscape bushfires

determine a method to assess the negative impact caused by bushfires to the inappropriate sequencing of fire regimes on vegetation communites

Region Responsibilities

SECTION STRATEGy TyPE ACTION

Prevention Engineeringinventory and classification of water source locations

campfire and sign strategy

Preparedness

Planningdevelop a detection plan

development of pre-suppression plans

Resourcing develop a process to assess annual resource requirements


w

CONTACT DETAILS

Fire Management Section Parks

and Wildlife Service GPO Box

1751, Hobart Tasmania 7001

CoNtaCt dEtailS

Fire Management Section

Parks and Wildlife Service

GPo Box 1751

Hobart , tasmania 7001