Category Archives: Fire Management

Fire: paying attention to the detail

Over 100 people packed into the Senior Citizens Hall last Tuesday to hear fire behaviour scientist Phil Zylstra question the science and logic behind current planned burning systems. The talk focused on current programs centred on the reduction of leaf … Continue reading

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Rethinking Planned Burns – Philip Zylstra, August 20th 2024

Kinglake Friends of the Forests, Friends of Box Ironbark Forests, Friends of the Whipstick and the Whroo Goldfields Conservation Network have engaged Dr Zylstra to speak at a public meeting at the Castlemaine Senior Citizens Centre at 7pm on Tuesday … Continue reading

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Journey through fire

A good group rocked up in threatening weather for FOBIF’s July walk in the Fryers NCR at Drummond. Grey it was, and even misty, but great for walking. It might have been cold, but of course no one noticed, and … Continue reading

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Get in on the ground storey

Interested in digging a bit deeper into the ‘problem’ of leaf litter? Remember: it’s the stuff which is a fire risk, and should be cleaned up…or it’s the stuff which keeps moisture in the soil, and prevents erosion…or maybe it’s … Continue reading

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Here’s an answer–Oh…but what was the question?

FOBIF has received an answer from Forest Fire Management to its submission on current plans for management burns in this area. We print the answer in full below. You can check to see if it answers any of the questions … Continue reading

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Roadside riddles

Mount Alexander shire conducted three poorly advertised consultation sessions through June and July on its draft Roadside fuel and bushfire risk strategy. The draft document can be found online here The draft, prepared by Fire Risk Consultants, proposes ‘treatment’ of … Continue reading

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Does logging add to bushfire risk?

Are logged forests less prone to dangerous fire than forests left to themselves? There is a common perception that if you log a forest, you reduce the danger of severe bushfire. The question is, can this opinion be supported by … Continue reading

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Code violations and other concerns

The Code of Practice for bushfire management was published in 2012, in the aftermath of the Royal Commission into the Black Saturday fires. You can check out FOBIF’s review of the document here. The Code was intended to be replaced … Continue reading

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Fire’s On

Mount Alexander Shire residents may have received a couple of DELWP leaflets in their letter boxes last week, informing them of upcoming management burns. All are fuel reduction exercises—ecology is a secondary consideration, if it’s a consideration at all. For … Continue reading

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Strategic fuel breaks: an update

Work is due to start on constructing Strategic Fuel Breaks in this region by February, with priority areas being along the Vaughan-Fryerstown road, Forest Creek and Walmer State forest (see maps in our posts here and here). The Forest Creek … Continue reading

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