Category: Grampians Bushfires

Sharing The Dilemmas: How And When And What Should We Burn?

Glenn Rudolph DEPI

Glenn started by showing photos of the experimental burn they did in the Wannon heathland mid July this year, which Dave R has alluded to in his piece. This area has not been burnt since the 60’s and is a very valuable small mammal habitat. It would be disastrous to have a large fire go through it so they wanted to see how a winter burn would help break it up. They used only 3 matches to light it, no accelerants. They waited till a day when the temperature was below 15, and the fuel moisture level was 16% and lit it in the afternoon. There was much dead grass. Flame heights reached 2 to 3 m. By 5.45 the edges were starting to self extinguish, by 6pm only small pockets were still alight, by 10 pm it was completely out. It reached 8 ha and were … Read the rest

Cultural Heritage Post 2013 Fire

Suzi Coates (DEPI Ballarat, cultural issues)
Suzi is herself indigenous and has worked on several interesting projects.

There are 99 known Aboriginal cultural sites in the Grampians of which 69 are rock art. All are very vulnerable to fire, as are scar trees and quarries. Damage is caused by ash, smoke, heat. And not just the fire, also the clean up and subsequent erosion. Damage to the art work (heat flaking etc), the surrounding infrastructure, and the subsurface archaeological deposits. The damage may not be apparent to casual inspection, as the micro climate has effects.

The post fire team had 3 requirements: assess and conserve, repair and replace infrastructure, assess control lines prior to remediation works.

Teams have so far gone to 23 known sites and have found 3 new ones. More are likely to be found. The teams have consisted of people from four traditional owner groups and 3 … Read the rest

FLOOD RECOVERY UPDATES

Fish Falls Walking Track Reopens for the June Long Weekend

In a significant milestone for the Grampians Flood Recovery Program, Parks Victoria advises that the MacKenzie River Walk between Zumsteins Picnic Area and Fish Falls has re-opened.

 This walk sustained extensive damage during the January 2011 floods that impacted the Grampians region. Works have been completed along the entire length of the track to reduce ongoing maintenance and improve the experience for visitors.  

 While the restoration of Zumsteins Picnic Area continues, visitors are advised to park in the car park at the western end of the picnic area and following the directional signs. These signs will guide visitors across the MacKenzie River, past the three Pise Cottages and along a new section of walking track before linking with the original MacKenzie River Walk.

 The section of walking track between Fish Falls and MacKenzie Falls will be open in late … Read the rest

FLOOD RECOVERY UPDATES

 

Fish Falls Walking Track Reopens for the June Long Weekend

In a significant milestone for the Grampians Flood Recovery Program, Parks Victoria advises that the MacKenzie River Walk between Zumsteins Picnic Area and Fish Falls has re-opened. This walk sustained extensive damage during the January 2011 floods that impacted the Grampians region. Works have been completed along the entire length of the track to reduce ongoing maintenance and improve the experience for visitors.

While the restoration of Zumsteins Picnic Area continues, visitors are advised to park in the car park at the western end of the picnic area and following the directional signs. These signs will guide visitors across the MacKenzie River, past the three Pise Cottages and along a new section of walking track before linking with the original MacKenzie River Walk.

The section of walking track between Fish Falls and MacKenzie Falls will be open in … Read the rest

THE BURNING ISSUE

 

After the discussion at the two advisory group meetings, I wrote the letter below to several local politicians, with copies to DSE and Parks. I sent it as an individual, not as Advisory group nor as a Foggie.

I am writing to you over my deep concern as to some unforeseen consequences of the burn targets set after the Bushfire Royal Commission. I am not at this point commenting on the targets themselves, but on how wildfires and different suppression activities are not taken into account.

The recent fire in the Grampians highlights the problem. The fire burnt through 28,920 hectares, almost one fifth of the park’s 168,110 hectares, of which 15,000 hectares was planned to be burnt this year. And this only 7 years after the Mt Lubra fires, so that now only one third of the Park’s vegetation is more than 7 years old. Yet under the … Read the rest

Response to The Fire Operations Plan 2011-2014 Proo Pyke

Friends of the Grampians Gariwerd wish to make the following points in response to the Fire Operations Plan.

We would like to support the effort that has been made to use the information gained from the Fire Ecology Strategy plan “Biophysical Units for Fire Management” (prepared by the Centre for Environmental Management at the University of Ballarat) to underpin the determination of the areas planned to be burned over the next three years. For many years now FOGGS has stressed the need for science to be the guiding factor in planning for proposed burns and are pleased to learn that Parks Staff are now in a much better position to ensure they understand the potential ecological consequences of their decisions.

For this reason we are very concerned that sufficient money is provided to ensure that the burns proposed can be properly monitored both pre and post burn so that our … Read the rest

Management of Fire

MANAGEMENT OF FIRE

A thorny topic that won’t go away. How do we balance protection of lives and livelihoods with optimum regimes for the environment? What is best for this environment? What can we learn from last year’s fires? What difference is climate change calling for? We have had a couple of actions this quarter.

First, Proo and I gave evidence in July to an all party enquiry. We tried to stress the importance of spending money on research and of listening to the results of research.
Then, as a result of various discussions, the committee endorsed a letter to Mark Corr of DSE on the Fire Operations Plan, which is summarised below. In response to this letter, we have been invited to tour recently burnt areas and proposed burns with DSE and Parks staff on Nov 13th. If any member would like the full text, please contact the editor.… Read the rest

Letter to the Parliamentary Enquiry into the management of public land

I first submitted this as a personal submission, but it was subsequently endorsed by the committee as representing the view of the FOGG committee. We have been invited to speak to the inquiry on July 3. The same submission was also sent to the “People’s Review”. Judging from the tenor of that review it seems unlikely that it was popular and I have not received any response from them.

bq.. I wish to make several observations about the Mt Lubra fire, particularly the policies and practices of Parks Vic and DSE prior to the fires.

* While there are always things that may have been done better, I do not agree that any blame for the Mt Lubra fire should be levelled at the local park management, or DSE or indeed the CFA. It was a tragedy both for the Park and the surrounding countryside that the fire was so … Read the rest

Letter to Ian Voigt, Regional director DSE

bq.. Dear Ian,

I wish to raise some concerns on behalf of FOGGS over the implementation of the FOP this year.

On Friday last week when we heard of the intention to burn the Lynch’s Crossing block on the following Sunday, I contacted a number of both DSE and PV staff. The more people I spoke to the more concerned I became with the process.

I was told that the Wannon River Crossing burn had been a hot burn, crowning at times and resulted in a 95% burn. While I understand that burns will sometimes burn hotter and more completely than was anticipated I was surprised to be told that this was in fact a very good outcome, and although The Fire Protection Plan (July 2006) states that the burn should be “up to 80%” this really means 80% is the minimum aimed for. When I enquired as to what … Read the rest

Letter to John Thwaites (cc Mark Stone, Graham Parkes)

Dear Mr Thwaites,

Friends of the Grampians Gariwerd would like to thank your Government for the support given to the Beyond Smoke Festival which is proving to be very successful and engaging many members of the communities affected by the fire very positively.

We would also like to raise our concerns over the funding for the Grampians National Park. We agree with the recent findings of the bipartisan Senate Report which has recommended a significant boost in federal and state funding for National Parks.

Our first concern is the lack of funding to support the biodiversity interests within the Park. There is a severe lack of funding to support ongoing monitoring and management of ecosystems within the Park. This is of particular concern with the increased pressure to carry out prescribed burns on public land while we don’t yet know the affect on the biodiversity of the most recent fire

… Read the rest
Friends of Grampians Gariwerd