Page 2974 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 20 September 2006
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people with a long history and sound understanding of bushfire in the ACT. The zones, and their application, were discussed at length for a good reason—to demonstrate the complexity of fire management.
The strategic bushfire management plan remains at the forefront of fire management planning in Australia in that it encompasses fire management across tenure and management responsibility in one document. The ACT is extremely fortunate to be able to achieve and implement the strategies contained in such a document. This document was produced after very extensive public consultation and represents the views of science, the urban community, rural lessees and land managers.
The ACT is undertaking the most effective fire management possible, not just in relation to fuel management or fire trails but also in ensuring that the community is prepared and resilient and that emergency responders are ready to fight fire effectively, efficiently and safely. The strategic bushfire management plan brings together all of these elements in one document, a situation that did not previously exist in the ACT, where the cornerstones of prevention, preparedness and response were bound up in a range of separate documents across different agencies.
The strategic bushfire management plan provides strategies and guidance for bushfire management to the community and to the government. The achievements of the territory in reducing the threat of bushfire is testimony to the strength of the plan. Even those agencies which do not manage significant land areas, such as housing, community services and education, are in the process of developing bushfire operational plans. Commonwealth agencies that are not technically required to produce bushfire operational plans, such as defence, are also preparing bushfire operational plans for their areas.
That all of these agencies are preparing plans that are consistent with the strategic bushfire management plan clearly demonstrates that the SBMP is a strong document that is driving bushfire management in the ACT. Furthermore, it demonstrates that the bushfire operational plans are an effective means of delivering the strategies of the strategic bushfire management plan.
To ensure that the work is being done, there is a rigorous audit and compliance program which assesses the works against those in the bushfire operational plans and the standards in the strategic bushfire management plan. This is a program by which an independent auditor, the ESA, can review the activities of a landholder, be they public or private, and report on the standard of work that is being achieved. These audits are continuous and ongoing as I speak.
These audits are critical. They ensure that standards are being achieved and that appropriate steps are undertaken to meet these objectives. They provide the community with the confidence that works are being achieved in a timely, consistent and cost-effective manner. Finally, they make the plan live. They are not just a list of actions sitting on a shelf. The make the plan live and a living document. All of this planning and all of this physical activity will not prevent bushfires from occurring, but it will minimise the risk from bushfires. Canberrans can all share the responsibility of minimising that risk, and this is being achieved very well.
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