Fire

About 150 people gathered at Nornalup on March 23 to protest about the State Government’s plan to burn 80ha of nearby mostly-unlogged tingle forest. Nornalup community members are angry about the planned burn which environmentalists say is counter-productive to fire mitigation and destructive to the environment.

Forestry Australia has welcomed the decision by the Federal Court to allow planned prescribed burns in the Strathbogie Forest ... Forestry Australia President Dr Michelle Freeman said prescribed  burning recognises Australia’s fire-dependent ecosystems, and fire-adapted flora and fauna that have evolved through the long tradition of indigenous caring for Country.

During the 2019 bushfires, Ember was severely dehydrated, her fur was black, coated in soot and she was badly singed. She suffered from congested lungs from smoke inhalation and had significant burns to her rump and all four paws.

At recent Birchip and Wycheproof Probus Club meetings, an intriguing question from the Buloke Shire Council’s Community Recovery Team kicked off an essential conversation: “If you had to leave your home in a hurry, what would you take?” This question opened up a broader discussion on emergency preparedness, emphasising the need to know what to pack and where to find reliable information.

Artwork born from the ashes of the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires will be on public display in Corryong during the upcoming bush festival ... three local artists - Gayle Lee, Gillian Fahle and Ronda Teakel ... All three artists live and work on their cattle farms, which were severely affected by the bushfires.

The Territory Labor Government has determined the next step to reduce the impact of buffel grass in Central Australia. The Buffel Grass Technical Working Group (TWG) was formed in 2023 to address environmental concerns around buffel grass, which makes wildfires more intense and impacts biodiversity.

Mount Alexander Shire Council is proud to be one of the supporters of a new resource to help people learn how to make their home or property ready for extreme weather events. The Castlemaine Institute and Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance, in partnership with ADAPT Loddon Mallee, have developed the ‘Home Upgrades for Climate Resilience Workbook,’...

Fire Minister Nikki Boyd has reassured rural fire brigades that local funds and assets will stay local following legislative change currently being considered through a committee process ... "The policy framework will make it clear that local assets like trucks and local funds will continue to solely benefit those local brigades and be accessed by local brigades for local purposes."

Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) intends to take advantage of favourable weather and forest conditions across the state to reduce the risk of bushfires on the community and environment ... This year 111 planned burns covering an area of 56,486 hectares are prepared and ready for ignition in north east Victoria.

VicForests, the Victorian Government’s own forestry agency, is being treated deplorably as it braces for a June 30 shutdown ... Peter Walsh, Leader of The Nationals, said it seemed the government was intent on wiping VicForests from the history books.

Let’s go solar. Across the world, in Australia and NSW, there is a push for alternative energy including wind and solar power ... IndyNR.com spoke to a resident ... She is opposed to the Richmond Valley Solar Farm. She has many reasons for her opposition including the fire risk of the proposed large BESS.

Kerry Cain. Last Saturday, the Newstead Fire Brigade impressed attendees at the Newstead Pool Party by showcasing its latest addition, the Field Command Vehicle (FCV).  With this specially equipped vehicle, the brigade can now respond more effectively and decisively to emergencies of all kinds and direct and deploy its appliances and personnel, as well as those of other services, as required.

A Black Hawk aerial firebombing chopper and the Naracoorte Swimming Lake were valuable resources during a major firefighting operation near Repeater Station, outside of town last week. It took 21 fire trucks, 120 firefighters, and seven firefighting aircraft almost 20 hours to contain the bushfire...

A Transgrid helicopter will take to the skies across the Riverina-Murray, Sunraysia and Far West regions from this week to inspect high-voltage electricity transmission lines for the network’s annual bushfire prevention program.

Alex Vaughan. Why is Central Australia almost the only region nationally at an increased wildfire risk across autumn? The National Council for Fire and Emergency Services unequivocally links this risk to buffel grass invasion and buffel grass regrowth  and curing, enabling fire conditions to overcome the longstanding norm for fire regimes across arid and semi-arid lands where “wildfire frequency is typically once a decade”.

I have lots of roses. They are always rewarding with their different shapes colours and perfumes and are often admired by visitors. But there’s one in the garden, that’s a bit shabby and out of shape, and is the one most loved and cherished by all the family. She’s had an interesting history.

The Chair of a Territory Aboriginal Corporation has highlighted Traditional Owners’ concerns about a major blaze from Jemena’s gas pipeline in Queensland, cutting gas to Gladstone. Chair of Nurrdalinji Native Title Aboriginal Corporation, Djingili Elder Samuel Sandy, a former resident of Elliott, said if an event like that happened in the NT it would be a catastrophe, given the major bushfires across the region last September.

The Delburn Wind Farm developer, Osmi Australia, has allayed speculation that the project would be affected by the federal government's rejection on environmental grounds of the Port of Hastings as a construction site ... Delburn involves the construction of 33 wind turbines each about 250 metres in height on plantation forest land owned by HVP Plantations ... recently deployed new fire detection technology that it said was a first for Australia and the wind farm industry.

Troublesome tumble weeds known by many as “hairy panic” are once again piling up on houses and piling up on roads and properties near Narrandera. Hairy panic is generally used to refer to about seven species of weed, all of which are in the Panicum genus, which produce spherical seed heads that roll with the wind.

Hay Shire Council has confirmed its support to the local Rural Fire Service in the face of   an inquiry into NSW RFS arrangements with Local Government. With the bushfire season underway, the upcoming inquiry into the effectiveness of NSW RFS's asset management and operations will be undertaken by a parliamentary committee.

Farmers are fighting a “slow-moving bushfire” as invasive weeds such as African lovegrass and serrated tussock explode following a wet summer. NSW Farmers Cooma branch chair Craig Mitchell said the state’s struggle with weeds had reached a tipping point, with some public and private land managers failing to meet their responsibilities.