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John O'Donnell
Responding to the Productivity Commission’s “Advancing Prosperity” report – Further opportunities in relation to natural disaster management: John O’Donnell
John O'Donnell assesses the Productivity Commission's limited recommendations regarding natural disaster management in its latest report, "Advancing Prosperity", and concludes that the PC and governments have missed key opportunities to better nail natural disaster management across Australia.
Bushfire learning, policy and management opportunities: John O’Donnell
John O'Donnell finds that the Treasurer's recent essay opens up an opportunity to discuss whether Australia has in fact learnt and implemented lessons from the Black Saturday bushfires and ways to improve economic and management outcomes for Australia in relation to bushfires.
Opportunities to improve fuel management in NSW: John O’Donnell
John O'Donnell reviews the NSW Rural Fire Service Annual Report 2021/22 ... Unfortunately, areas of annual hazard reduction burning and mechanical reduction in NSW are both at very low rates ... Only 3.1 per cent of the NSW forested landscape has received fuel treatment over five years, this is extremely low and inadequate to reduce bushfire areas and risk. In addition, the forests with extensive hot bushfires of 2019/ 20 are now three years old and in many cases there are extensive areas of dead trees, heavy grass/ bark etc fuel and dense understoreys ...
Opportunities for economic reform within fire management across South East Australia: John O’Donnell
John O'Donnell considers the economics of bushfire mitigation in Australia and highlights opportunities for economic reform with fire management across South East Australia, critical considering the high ongoing impact of disastrous bushfires.
USA fire management update and potential lessons for Australia: John O’Donnell
John O'Donnell considers a recent US report on fire and land management, "Wildland Urban Interface: A Look at Issues and Resolutions", and finds that it holds valuable lessons that could be adapted for Australian land and bushfire management.
Bushfires, leaving aside climate, weather and drought: John O’Donnell
If we as a society don’t identify all the non-climate, climate change, weather and drought factors that influence the extent, intensity and severity of major bushfires across Australia and action associated opportunities, Australia will continue to have more of the same disastrous bushfires, impacting on communities, fire fighters, flora, fauna and the environment.
Opportunities to further optimise fire management and funding in NSW: John O’Donnell
John O'Donnell looks closely at recent announcements by the NSW Government concerning funding for bushfire management and climate change adaptation and identifies 7 key remaining areas of concern, including an emphasis on bushfire suppression and inadequate levels of fire mitigation.
The Winsome Soup Kitchen, a vision of hope at Lismore
John O'Donnell. After a walk along the Wilson River and Leycester Creek near their junction at Lismore, I called into the Winsome Hotel, thinking there might be a drink on hand, as it was close to lunchtime and there was no signage on the hotel indicating any changes in management. Â No luck with any drinks, but I met Mieke Bell and she generously donated her time showing my wife and I what was happening on the ground floor after the floods.
Review of prescribed burning and wildfire burning across Australia: John O’Donnell
John O'Donnell discusses the significance of a graph showing areas burnt by bushfire and by prescribed burning across Australia since 1960.
Has fire and flood risk and mitigation management gone astray in south eastern Australia? : John O’Donnell
Over the last few years, there have been a lot of natural disasters in south eastern Australia as all are aware. It is opportune to review risk and mitigation management in regards to natural disasters in south eastern Australia and this article assesses both fire and flood risk and mitigation management.
