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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 371 asked in the Legislative Council on 15 May 2018 by Hon Diane Evers

Parliament: 40 Session: 1


PARKS AND WILDLIFE SERVICE — PRESCRIBED BURNING
      371. Hon DIANE EVERS to the Minister for Environment:
I refer to the prescribed burning program conducted by the Parks and Wildlife Service, noting that when a burn has been completed, it is assessed against the objectives set out in the prescribed fire plan.
      (1) Are reignitions sometimes required to meet the burn objectives and success criteria of the prescribed fire plan?
      (2) If yes to (1), is the percentage of forest burnt considered as a factor in the post-burn assessment?
      (3) If yes to (2), what percentage of forest burnt triggers the decision to reignite an area?
      (4) If yes to (1), what other criteria are used to inform the decision to reignite an area?
Hon STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.
      (1) Yes.
      (2) The percentage of forest burnt is a consideration wherever it is specified in the burn objectives or success criteria, which is the case in most instances.
      (3) Any percentage below that outlined in the success criteria may trigger a judgement as to whether further ignitions are necessary. Area-related success criteria may apply to the whole burn or to individual fuel types or specific areas within a burn.
      (4) Each burn has several objectives or success criteria and all are assessed when considering whether to reignite. These criteria are tailored to individual burns and can address matters such as fuel loads, fire intensity and interaction with other responsible authorities. In addition, an important consideration in all instances is public and employee safety and the need to minimise the potential for a burn to escape.
      I would be happy to organise a briefing for the honourable member from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions on the matter.