Page 3151 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 17 November 1992
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(3) There are fuel management and public safety campaigns designed to reduce risks at the
urban interface. The ACT Parks and Conservation Service has an annual program of Fire
Hazard Reduction around the ACT which includes the maintenance of slashed (mown),
burnt and graded firebreaks.
The resulting system of Firebreaks is very effective at reducing the risk to rural properties and at the urban fringe. However no system of Firebreaks would guarantee complete protection. Protection of properties from bushfires depends also on responsible landholder behaviour, planning and construction details, weather and ignition patterns, and effective detection and control resp.
(4) It is planned to bum narrow strips at Mt Taylor, Wanniassa Hills and the Pinnacle if
cues permit. This will of course depend on weather conditions, seasonal growth
conditions, Fire Safety requirements and environmental requirements on carol burning
under the Air Pollution Act.
Burning in woodland and forest areas is generally carried out in Autumn or Winter according to a long term program.
(5) The Rural Fire Service and the Urban Fire Service have well maintained equipment and
well trained and committed bushfire fightters available to meet bushfire incident
requirements. About 15-17/0 of incidents require mufti-agency assistance of some sort
and this is met through formal mutual aid agreements.
In the past these organisations have demonstrated their capacity for handling fires on several fronts at once.
The resources of the Australian Defe= Forces - RAAF, Army and Navy Fire Services are also available on request for major incidents.
(6) The ACT Welfare Plan (a sub-plan of the ACT Disaster Plan) dies relief action to be
implemented. The combating of the bushfire would be undertaken in a unified control
approach, between the Rural arid Urban Fire Authorities. The Rural and Urban
Firefighting and Emergency Services are now part of the same administrative unit and a
formal unified control agreement exists between the various emergency services to combat
just such an event. The ACT Disaster Plan provides arrangements to manage the effects
of large scale impacts of life and property.
(7) Casualties are handled as part of the ACT Welfare Plans. The provisions of this Plan are
reviewed and fly practiced during disaster training exercises.
3151
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