❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses the impact of a prescribed burn on endangered numbat habitats. The Minister responds, detailing pre-burn planning, burn implementation, and post-burn review, asserting no impact on overall numbat population numbers.
AnsweredQoN 21Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
NUMBAT HABITATS — PRESCRIBED BURNING PROGRAM
21. Hon
TJORN SIBMA to the minister representing the Minister for Environment:
I refer to a prescribed burn
undertaken by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions in
Perup on 25 March, and subsequent reports of that burn's impact on one
of two endangered numbat habitats.
(1) What specific
planning and actions were undertaken by DBCA, and on what dates, prior to the
prescribed burn, to protect the endangered numbat population?
(2) Will the minister table that
information; and, if not, why not?
(3) What specific
post-burn review was undertaken; how was that review undertaken, and when; and
did that review estimate the impact on the numbat population?
(4) Will the minister table that
information; and, if not, why not?
21. Hon
TJORN SIBMA to the minister representing the Minister for Environment:
I refer to a prescribed burn
undertaken by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions in
Perup on 25 March, and subsequent reports of that burn's impact on one
of two endangered numbat habitats.
(1) What specific
planning and actions were undertaken by DBCA, and on what dates, prior to the
prescribed burn, to protect the endangered numbat population?
(2) Will the minister table that
information; and, if not, why not?
(3) What specific
post-burn review was undertaken; how was that review undertaken, and when; and
did that review estimate the impact on the numbat population?
(4) Will the minister table that
information; and, if not, why not?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank Hon Tjorn Sibma for some
notice of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by the
Minister for Environment.
(1)–(2) The DON 100 Weinup prescribed burn was a strategic
burn that aimed to reduce fuel loads and protect nearby properties and
biodiversity values from the impacts of bushfire. A comprehensive prescribed
fire plan was prepared that met the requirements of the ISO 31000 international
standard for risk management. The prescribed
fire plan identifies a number of pre-burn, burn implementation and post-burn
actions related to numbat habitat. DBCA has advised me that it
recognises the high environmental values of the Weinup prescribed burn area,
including the area providing important habitat for numbats. Managing the numbat
habitat was a key consideration during the planning and implementation of the
prescribed burn.
In July 2019, Department of
Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions staff met with adjacent property
owners who had reported numbat sightings and physically marked the location of
any known dens within and adjacent to the
burn. In August 2019, known locations of dens were mapped. The burn was
undertaken outside the period when numbats have young in their dens—typically
from winter through to November. This approach was taken so the younger animals
were mature enough to access refuge areas during the burn and post-burn
periods. Marked dens were raked around by DBCA staff and protected by wetting
down adjacent areas with fire hoses.
The burn was staged over an 18-month
period commencing in spring 2019, and was carried out by burning a number of
different cells at different times to achieve a mosaic of differing burn
intensities across the area to maintain biodiversity, including fauna habitat.
This was also achieved within the final cell where prescribed burning commenced
on 25 March 2021. There are also identified actions regarding post-burn
monitoring that are still programmed to occur over the coming months.
DBCA has invested significant
resources into protecting numbats and their habitat over the past 20 years,
with dedicated feral animal control and a partnership approach to a numbat
breeding and release program with Perth Zoo. Managing numbat habitat, including
through fire management, is also a key component of this ongoing strategy to protect
numbats in the wild.
(3)–(4)
DBCA is undertaking an operational in-field review of the DON 100 Weinup
prescribed burn. I am advised that underlying soil dryness in portions of this
burn area may have been a contributing factor to some areas having a higher
fire intensity than was planned. Lessons learnt will be incorporated into
future operations, which is consistent with DBCA' s adaptive management
approach. DBCA has advised that all known
numbat dens that DBCA and adjacent property owners identified prior to the burn
were p rotected. In addition, DBCA has confirmed that it observed numbats
before, during and after the prescribed burn. DBCA
does not consider that this prescribed burn has impacted overall population
numbers of the numbat , but has provided longer term protection of the
habitat from the occurrence of severe summer bushfires that would likely result
in longer term impacts to numbat habitat.
notice of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by the
Minister for Environment.
(1)–(2) The DON 100 Weinup prescribed burn was a strategic
burn that aimed to reduce fuel loads and protect nearby properties and
biodiversity values from the impacts of bushfire. A comprehensive prescribed
fire plan was prepared that met the requirements of the ISO 31000 international
standard for risk management. The prescribed
fire plan identifies a number of pre-burn, burn implementation and post-burn
actions related to numbat habitat. DBCA has advised me that it
recognises the high environmental values of the Weinup prescribed burn area,
including the area providing important habitat for numbats. Managing the numbat
habitat was a key consideration during the planning and implementation of the
prescribed burn.
In July 2019, Department of
Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions staff met with adjacent property
owners who had reported numbat sightings and physically marked the location of
any known dens within and adjacent to the
burn. In August 2019, known locations of dens were mapped. The burn was
undertaken outside the period when numbats have young in their dens—typically
from winter through to November. This approach was taken so the younger animals
were mature enough to access refuge areas during the burn and post-burn
periods. Marked dens were raked around by DBCA staff and protected by wetting
down adjacent areas with fire hoses.
The burn was staged over an 18-month
period commencing in spring 2019, and was carried out by burning a number of
different cells at different times to achieve a mosaic of differing burn
intensities across the area to maintain biodiversity, including fauna habitat.
This was also achieved within the final cell where prescribed burning commenced
on 25 March 2021. There are also identified actions regarding post-burn
monitoring that are still programmed to occur over the coming months.
DBCA has invested significant
resources into protecting numbats and their habitat over the past 20 years,
with dedicated feral animal control and a partnership approach to a numbat
breeding and release program with Perth Zoo. Managing numbat habitat, including
through fire management, is also a key component of this ongoing strategy to protect
numbats in the wild.
(3)–(4)
DBCA is undertaking an operational in-field review of the DON 100 Weinup
prescribed burn. I am advised that underlying soil dryness in portions of this
burn area may have been a contributing factor to some areas having a higher
fire intensity than was planned. Lessons learnt will be incorporated into
future operations, which is consistent with DBCA' s adaptive management
approach. DBCA has advised that all known
numbat dens that DBCA and adjacent property owners identified prior to the burn
were p rotected. In addition, DBCA has confirmed that it observed numbats
before, during and after the prescribed burn. DBCA
does not consider that this prescribed burn has impacted overall population
numbers of the numbat , but has provided longer term protection of the
habitat from the occurrence of severe summer bushfires that would likely result
in longer term impacts to numbat habitat.
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