As forest owners, we have a valuable asset to protect. From ensuring fire breaks are cleared and maintained to conducting fuel reduction burns. When it comes to bushfire, we all have a part to play to make summer safer, and ensure our assets, homes and communities are prepared and protected. Source: Timberbiz
Fuel reduction burning reduces the rate of spread and the intensity of fires minimising damage, bushfire risk, and providing firefighters with safer opportunities to contain and extinguish the blaze.
Private Forests Tasmania has compiled a list of resources to assist in managing your Bushfire risk. From Plantation Insurance, programs to educate and support farmers and landholders, Bushfire Ready Challenges, Bushfire Protection Plans, Emergency Alerts, Recovery and more.
Spring is the ideal time to conduct fuel reduction burns on your properties.
Red Hot Tips are a free one-stop service for farmers and rural landholders. The Program educates and supports farmers and landholders in rural Tasmania to actively manage their bushfire risk; encouraging collaborative vegetation fire management and ecological sustainability across the landscape.
Facilitators work with individuals, or groups of farmers and landholders, who manage large tracts of land in rural Tasmania and want help managing their bushfire risk through:
- Farm visits to discuss fuel reduction options.
- Planned burn training and on-ground mentoring.
- Developing burn plans and assistance with permits.
- Identifying equipment needs.
- Help with legislation requirements – navigating the red tape.
- Advice on alternative fuel reduction treatments.
- Opportunities for private and public landholders to work together with coordinated and effective burning.
- Phone and online support.
Practical materials and resources like the SFMC booklet Planned Burning for Farmers and Landholders.
You can register your interest by completing the Red Hot Tips – Expression of Interest form or email [email protected]
Established in the early 1990’s, the FIFMC’s aim is to minimise the risk of wildfire resulting from forest operations and to ensure compliance with relevant regulations. Endorsed by the Tasmanian Fire Service, procedures outline minimum fire equipment requirements and procedures to follow to reduce the risk of fire in both high and low risk hazard forest activity. Read more here Fire Prevention at Forest Operations Procedures and equipment Audit.
The Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) is a diverse organisation made up of career firefighters and State Service Employees. TFS is the operational arm of the State Fire Commission working alongside emergency management partners of Tasmanian State Emergency Service (SES), Tasmania Police and Ambulance Tasmania to respond to a range of emergencies across the State.
TFS work with partnered organisations, Sustainable Timber Tasmania (STT) and the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) to educate communities on bushfire preparedness and fire safety, and work to prevent, resource, manage and respond to bushfires.
Every summer, bushfires threaten homes and businesses throughout Tasmania. In January 2013, a series of devastating bushfires impacted several rural communities, with significant loss of property, livelihood and our natural environment.
The Tasmanian Bushfire Inquiry that followed recommended the Tasmanian Government establish a coordinated program of fuel reduction burns across the entire State, to target areas that pose the greatest risk of future catastrophic fires.
Bushfires respect no boundaries. The TFS works with the Parks and Wildlife Service, Sustainable Timber Tasmania, local government and private landowners to implement the Fuel Reduction Program on both public and private land. Private landowners must still take responsibility for their own property, but the TFS will work with them.
Spring is the time for fuel reduction burning
The Fuel Reduction Program will not prevent bushfires, but it can make them easier and safer to fight. This will reduce damage to homes, businesses and the environment. To achieve this, Tasmania must conduct more fuel reduction burns every year, in a strategic and coordinated manner that focuses the TFS resources where they are needed the most. Source: Timberbiz
You can learn more about the fuel reduction program here and stay up to date with the current burn schedule here.
The Fuel Reduction Program is managed by the Bushfire Risk Unit of the TFS. You can contact the Fuel Reduction Unit during business hours on 1800 000 699.
The Tasmania Fire Service Bushfire-Ready Challenge is an immersive bushfire preparedness experience available to all Tasmanians. Take part in this Challenge at your own pace to ensure you can get to know your bushfire risk, create a bushfire plan, prepare your property and much, much more!
The Challenge kicks off in Spring. Register now to participate.
Plantation trees are valuable and increase in value over their lifetime. You may want to consider plantation insurance prior to this next fire season to ensure your plantation is covered for not only its value, but also for any potential clean-up costs.
Forest insurance is a specialised service offered by only a few insurers, but your own insurance broker may be able to assist and would be worthwhile contacting.
Read more HERE.
