Managing fire in NSW national parks
DECC manages about eight per cent of the land area of NSW. Much of this estate is remote from access and infrastructure or near urban areas, and the most rugged and bushfire-prone country in south-east Australia. These areas have been reserved to conserve their natural and cultural values which include biodiversity, landscapes, Aboriginal sites, historic structures and recreational settings.
Fire as a natural and recurring factor shaping the NSW environment, a factor that continues to play a significant role in the evolution and maintenance of both natural and cultural heritage values. Certain fire regimes (e.g. high frequency or high intensity fires) however, may pose a significant threat to human life, property and other values.
Where and how fires start
Of the hundreds of bushfires that DECC responds to every year only a small fraction start in national parks and escape to neighbouring lands, and most are caused by lightning or arson. The other major contributor to a bushfire is a fire that escapes from private property burns (both illegal and permitted).
DECC fire management responsibilities
The management of fire is a critical component of land management across the NSW landscape. Under the Rural Fires Act 1997 the DECC is a fire authority and is responsible for the management of fire on all lands under its control. This includes the detection and suppression of fires and the implementation of risk prevention programs to protect life and property from fires. The Department also assists with the suppression of fires on adjacent lands, as may be required under plans prepared under the Rural Fires Act 1997.
DECC is also the leading conservation agency in NSW and is responsible for conserving biodiversity and protecting historic and Aboriginal heritage. These two responsibilities are not mutually exclusive and DECC is committed to delivering effective fire management programs and working closely with the Rural Fire Service, NSW Fire Brigades, State Forests and park neighbours to achieve both objectives.
DECC considers fire management to be one of the most important tasks in managing protected areas and believes that fire management planning must be fully integrated with other aspects of protected area management. DECC also believes that fire management planning for protected areas must be integrated with fire management planning on adjacent land as well as fire management planning undertaken at the landscape level by the NSW Bush Fire Coordinating Committee and bush fire management committees.
As a fire authority DECC's primary fire management responsibilities are to:
- protect life, property and community assets from the adverse impacts of fire
- develop and implement cooperative and coordinated fire management arrangements with other fire authorities, reserve neighbours and the community
- manage fire regimes within reserves to maintain and enhance biodiversity
- protect Aboriginal sites and places, historic places and culturally significant features known to exist within NSW from damage by fire
- assist other fire agencies, land management authorities and landholders in developing fire management practices to conserve biodiversity and cultural heritage across the landscape.
DECC Fire Management Manual
DECC's responsibilities for the management of fire are clearly outlined in the DECC Fire Management Manual 2007, (pdf 980 kb). The Fire Management Manual brings together the policy and procedural information necessary for DECC to achieve its fire management objectives. The manual provides guidelines for DECC staff and also strengthens the organisation's ability to work cooperatively with other fire authorities, emergency services and the community.
The Fire Management Manual brings together the policy and procedural information necessary for DECC to achieve its fire management objectives. The manual provides guidelines for DECC staff and also strengthens the organisation's ability to work cooperatively with other fire authorities, emergency services and the community.
In recognition of the need for a more integrated approach to fire management, the Fire Management Manual addresses the full spectrum of fire related activities, including:
- prevention of unplanned fire (including the prescribed use of fire and other mitigation activities to achieve specific management objectives)
- preparedness measures to ensure an appropriate response to fire
- response procedures to control fire in a safe and efficient manner
- recovery programs to mitigate the undesirable impacts of fire and fire suppression activities.
Download a copy of the DECC Fire Management Manual 2007, (pdf 980 kb).
Capacity
In order to achieve its fire management responsibilities DECC has:
- over 850 staff trained in all aspects of fire fighting from on ground crew members to Divisional Commanders, Logistics, Operations, Planning and Incident Control as well as aviation specialists, select remote area crews, GIS technicians and community relations
- a large fleet of fire fighting vehicles including plant, bulk water tankers, category 7 tankers and small 4wd fire fighting units (strikers)
- a flight section with helicopters and fixed wing aircraft
- a networked information management system that contains details of threatened species, Aboriginal and historic heritage, vegetation communities and types and fire history.
Cooperative fire management
DECC actively engages in cooperative fire management. The Rural Fires Act 1997 provides for cooperative arrangements to enable fire authorities to control fires. Cooperative arrangements are derived from the Bush Fire Coordinating Committee (BFCC) and implemented through local bush fire management committees (BFMCs) established under section 50 of the Rural Fires Act 1997. The committees are responsible for the development and fostering of coordinated fire fighting arrangements and the reduction of bush fire hazards. They develop joint bush fire management plans, which consist of a plan of operations to coordinate fire fighting resources and bush fire risk management plans to reduce bush fire hazards.
The other three agencies that participate in cooperative fire management across NSW are the Department of Primary Industries (DPI), the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) and NSW Fire Brigades. Of the 79 bush fire management committees around NSW, the DECC actively participates in 78.
Coordinated arrangements may be prepared with interstate fire authorities where a bushfire-prone reserve is located on the NSW border.