THE successful protection of threatened communities by firefighters has been partially overshadowed by the fire damage to world heritage areas, an independent report into the 2016 bushfires has found.
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Fire agencies appear to us to have appropriately prioritised the protection of communities
- Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authority Council report
Threats to communities received limited coverage in the 2016 bushfire season despite success of operations, according to the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council review. Released on Saturday, the report covered the response of Emergency services, Parks and Wildlife and Forestry Tasmania to the 2016 fires.
Key recommendations include the need to streamline the state’s fire control systems, a review of the effectiveness of aerial firefighting and the need to engage with community groups with an interest in fire management in wilderness areas.
Much of the report focused on environmental issues associated with the firefighting effort. The report assessed the protection of World Heritage areas, the role of climate change in the unprecedented dry season and how land management can be achieved more effectively.
The report also attempted to measured the ultimate success of firefighting efforts and highlighted the protection of Tasmanian towns.
“Although the threat to communities had limited prominence, it was still a feature, particularly in the early days of the fires,” the report stated.
“The Tasmanian fire agencies appear to us to have appropriately prioritised the protection of communities and the extensive work that went into controlling fires on the West Coast in the region of Zeehan and Strahan has not always received the recognition it deserves.”
Recognising the successful protection of threatened and at-risk communities in the West Coast, Meander Valley and Mawbanna region was crucial in assessing the overall success of the campaign, the report found.
“At times when looking at the public commentary that the focus on damage that has occurred in wilderness areas may have eclipsed to some extent the success of operations to defend communities in the early stages of this event.”