Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester is urging the Commonwealth to get more involved in bushfire prevention measures after the Australasian Fire Authorities Council (AFAC) released its updated forecasts for the 2023-24 summer period.
The AFAC Seasonal Bushfire Outlook has identified parts of Gippsland as having “a higher than normal potential for forests to carry fire” after below average rainfall for winter.
Mr Chester said he was not surprised by the outlook and had received feedback from residents across the eastern half of his electorate regarding the need for increased fuel reduction burning and mechanical clearing around critical assets.
“After some excellent seasons since the Black Summer bushfires, there is a lot of regrowth on public land and the warmer, drier winter has certainly added to community concerns of an early start to the fire risk period,” Mr Chester said.
“I have written to the Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt to highlight concerns among local residents that we are simply not seeing enough work on the ground to reduce the bushfire risk.”
Mr Chester said the management of public land was primarily a State Government responsibility, but the Federal Government need to take a more active role due to the failure to protect local communities and the impending loss of skilled timber workers.
“Regional people in communities like Gippsland are the custodians of our nation’s massive public land estate and many of us live alongside poorly managed parks and reserves,” Mr Chester wrote.
“At the same time, those of us who live outside the capital cities are the most exposed to bushfires, flooding, and extreme weather events.
“Following the State Government’s illogical and reckless decision to ban the native hardwood timber industry there is growing concern in my community regarding bushfire safety.
“All of the Black Summer bushfires started on public land that had incredibly high fuel loads after decades of mismanagement due to a chronic lack of staff, resources, and commitment to protecting our communities.
“There have been countless examples of the timber industry workforce being utilised to protect life and property in my region over the years and we fear the loss of those skills will endanger locals and visitors during the peak holiday period.
“The skills of the timber industry workers should be utilised further to maintain forest access roads and strategic fire breaks around critical assets, like water catchments, towns and highways, with the timber harvested for the benefit of everyone.”
Mr Chester said the Federal Minister should be seeking agreements with the states on minimum levels of activities to protect communities, including staffing levels on the ground in regional areas.
“We need more boots and less suits. That’s more boots on the ground doing fuel reduction and other practical environmental work, and less suits in Melbourne and Canberra making excuses, and stupid politically-motivated decisions which endanger the lives of locals and visitors,” Mr Chester said.
“I believe the Federal Government should be making disaster payments contingent upon states signing up for a bigger regional workforce undertaking natural resource management and disaster resilience. Setting minimum national standards for public land management to reduce the severity of future disasters would deliver social, economic, environmental and cultural benefits.
“While I understand that many of the issues I am raising are traditionally the responsibility of the State Government, they are nationally important considerations.
“It’s often the states which refuse to prioritise these initiatives and communities are left exposed to the next natural disaster, and then expect the Federal Government to come to the rescue with troops and cash to support burnt out regions.”