THE state government is in the early stages of implementing its plan to increase strategic fuel reduction burning.
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The proposal is to invest $28.5 million across four years in the new program.
The initiative aims to better protect communities from bushfires, by burning about 60,000 hectares or 5 per cent of treatable public land each year.
Emergency Management Minister Rene Hidding has had briefings from the Tasmania Fire Service about the plan.
He has also received a draft report from the State Fire Management Council on the matter and will attend the council's next meeting.
``I am confident of receiving a finalised strategic fuel management report from the SFMC soon, which will allow us to plan the next important phase of the policy roll-out, which is targeting the first locations for fuel reduction burns,'' Mr Hidding said.
``Further details regarding the program will be released when they become available, including the planned staff uptake for the new centralised and dedicated fuel reduction unit.''
The government plans to establish a fuel reduction unit, employing up to 70 people, to centralise the approach to fuel reduction burns, now split between three agencies.
