Missing the chance for controlled burns

FUEL reduction burning provokes a wide variation of opinion. But before we judge fire management practices. I would encourage people to reflect on environmental changes to our landscape since European settlement. Aborigines used fire as a tool in land management, as did most farmers until recent times. Fire-dependent ecosystems were thereby maintained in good health. Land usage has changed since settlement, and many people now live in high-risk areas. In addition, our climate is warming and drying, and scientists warn we are not adapting quickly enough.

During the past months we have missed countless opportunities for carrying out controlled burns in our most vulnerable locations.

A lack of burning and poor forest management practices are now evident in this country and around the world. In recent years catastrophic fires have caused considerable losses of life and property and caused great harm to ecosystems. The losses in California should give us a timely reminder that we should prioritise this issue. Victor Steffensen is a respected indigenous specialist in the use of fire in bushland management. He should be invited to Tasmania to run courses for property owners and land managers. Vic Jurskis, in his book Firestick Ecology, says we must “apply the firestick frequently, willingly and skilfully” to restore a healthier and safer environment and economy.