National Burning Project Overview

A NATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR PRESCRIBED BURNING For millennia, fire has played an important role in shaping Australian environments, ecosystems and biota, including through indigenous burning practices and through natural causes such as lightning strikes. After European settlement of the Australian continent the use of fire changed dramatically, and continues to change today, with deep implications for bushfire management, ecosystems, traditional landscapes and species.

Land managers today have a Prescribed Burning challenge to manage fire in Best Practice Review the landscape for multiple Operational Fuel Risk Risk outcomes and to balance Framework Framework resources, research, policies and risk.

Overall the National Burning Project aims to fulfil a need to consolidate agency views, supported by science and experience, into a national framework, whilst allowing individual agencies to operate consistently within their legislative and operational requirements Through a suite of 12 subprojects the National Burning Project is developing a holistic overview of prescribed burning to develop national frameworks for : • Risk Management • Best Practice • Training • Resource and Tools sharing

Smoke Risk Framework

Best Practice Guidelines for Prescribed Burning

National Bushfire Fuel Classification

Ecological Risk Framework

Review of Science and Traditional Knowledge

The National Burning Project (NBP) has been jointly commissioned by AFAC and the Forest Fire Managers group (FFMG).

As part of AFAC’s commitment to building common approaches across the fire and emergency services sector, the National Burning Project is consulting widely on current prescribed burning practices and management frameworks to develop robust frameworks, tools and best practice guidance with regard to prescribed burning in Australasia.

For further information on the project or to keep up to date with publication dates please contact: Deb Sparkes Project Support Officer 03 9418 5232 deb.sparkes@afac.com.au

Gary Featherston Project Manager 03 9418 5217 gary.featherston@afac.com.au

1

Status as of September 2015

Short Title

Long Title

Review Fire Science and Knowledge

Prepare and publish a review of the fire science, operational experience and indigenous knowledge at a national level for all fire bioregions.

Overview Published

Due December 2016

Review due December 2016

2

Analysis of Objectives

Undertake between 2 and 4 new case studies. Report on an analysis of the tools and methodologies available to balance competing objectives of burning programs and matching these to user’s needs.

3

Risk and Monitoring Framework

Design a management and review framework to Risk 1 and 2 Published manage the major prescribed burning risks. Four risks have been identified: Risk 3 and 4 due Early 2016 1.

Fuel Hazards 2.

Smoke and CO2 emissions 3.

Ecological 4.

Operational (safety)

4

Best Practice Guideline for Prescribed Burning

A review of the end to end processes, practices and systems of prescribed burning jurisdictions, land managers and across a range of burning objectives.

Review report Published Operational report due December2015 Strategic planning report due September 2016

5

National Bushfire Fuel Classification

Develop a standard for the classification of bushfire fuels

Framework Report Published Classification due December 2015 Further documentation and ongoing refinement until June 2018

6

National Position on Prescribe Burning

A nationally agreed position is developed and communicated that outlines the principles for the use of prescribed burning.

Due June 2016

7

Prescribed Burning Competencies

Define agreed standards for the tasks associated with the planning and conduct of prescribed burns.

Due June 2016

8

Develop Training Materials

Develop training materials for prescribed burning for national application.

Due December 2015

9

Prescribed Burning Training Delivery

Investigate the options for national training delivery Due June 2017 and mutual recognition frameworks.

10

Resource Optimisation

Develop processes for the sharing of resource Due June 2017 between prescribed burning programs.

11

Performance Measures

12

National Tool Box

Develop performance measures for prescribed Due June 2017 burning and design a reporting framework .

Provide a set of tools that support prescribed burning Due June 2017 activities by sharing existing and developing new tools.