The Denmark Environment Centre is calling on the State Government for a full and independent inquiry into the impact of its current prescribed burning practices.

This follows the release last week of a report, Icons to Ashes, on the practice as examined in the Walpole Wilderness Area.

The report calls for an urgent rethink of burning practices, highlighting that regular burning is having a big impact on forests and wildlife and has been scientifically demonstrated to be increasing the risk of bushfire.

The 48-page document outlines the catastrophic impact of the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions’ prescribed burning on the WWA, one of WA’s natural wonders.

Gondwana Link chief executive Keith Bradby describes the contents of the report as deeply disturbing.

He said it vividly outlined the degradation of a precious ecosystem.

He was bewildered by the disregard exposed in the pages for the fundamental principles of ecological management, community safety and accountable government.

The current WA prescribed burning policy aims to conduct prescribed burning over at least 200,000ha a year in the Forest Management Plan area and to maintain the age of fuel loads to less than six years in at least 45 per cent of the landscape.

In the report, fire management and its impact are examined in regards to giant tingle trees, ‘WA’s forest giants which rival California’s giant redwoods’.

The quokka, the vulnerable mainland population of WA’s marsupial, comes in for scrutiny.

The red flowering gum, which has a tiny home and global following, is examined along with peatlands, the super-diverse wetlands which store carbon and provide a refuge for ancient and threatened species.

The report was part of an extensive campaign by the Fire and Biodiversity WA group, which was formed in 2019 after a prescribed burn destroyed a biodiverse area north of Denmark. BirdLife WA, the Denmark Environment Centre and WA Forest Alliance have endorsed the report.

Denmark Environment Centre and FaBWA say only long-term research, monitoring and evaluation will show how repeated cycles of prescribed burning are impacting the condition, structure, function and composition of species and ecosystems over time.

These actions are needed to develop and demonstrate ecologically sustainable fire management.

Scientists, local conservation groups, including FaBWA, DEC and WA Forest Alliance, say a commission of inquiry into the burning practices, policies and programs and urgent practical management actions should be undertaken.

This should include a moratorium on prescribed burning of tingle, red flowering gum and peatland habitats within the WWA while a comprehensive risk assessment is carried out which includes the effects of climate change.

Catherine Spaggiari from the DEC said the State Government should make the necessary changes to prevent further decline and loss of these ancient and world-renowned trees and ecosystems before it was too late.

There are 15 recommendations in the document regarding the need for an independent expert commission of inquiry, urgent management actions, research, monitoring and evaluation, and improving governance and accountability.

FaBWA convenor Bart Lebbing said the report highlighted the detrimental effects the current practices had on fragile ecosystems with the need to have better outcomes to guarantee the longevity of the systems for future generations. “Current practices literally turning our iconic species and wetlands into ashes,” he said. 

This article appeared in the Denmark Bulletin, 15 June 2023.