❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice regarding two prescribed burns (F008) in Sharpe/Deep blocks and Shannon and Granite Peaks State Forest during the 2010-2011 summer. The questions cover burn area specifics, fire intensity, ecological impact, and costs. The response provides details on hectares burnt, ignition dates, fire intensity achieved, flora and fauna surveys, and management of threatened species. Cost information is unavailable due to budgeting practices.
AnsweredQoN 4697Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the prescribed burn in Sharpe/Deep blocks and Shannon and Granite Peaks State Forest, both with burn identification F008, in summer 2010-2011, and I ask -
(1) In regard to the Shannon and Granite Peaks State Forest burn -
(a) how many hectares are within the planned burn area;
(b) how many hectares were burnt as a result of this fire;
(c) on what days in 2010 and 2011 was fire applied to the planned burn area;
(d) was ground ignition on the perimeter of regrowth cells the only method of ignition utilised for this burn;
(e) was regrowth protection the primary purpose of this burn;
(f) what were the other purposes of this burn, in order of priority;
(g) what fire intensity did the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) intend to apply to this area;
(h) was the intended fire intensity achieved;
(i) if no to (1)(h), what explanation does DEC provide for the inconsistency;
(j) what percentage of the total area did DEC intend to burn;
(k) was the intended percentage achieved;
(l) if no to (1)(k), what explanation does DEC provide for the inconsistency;
(m) what was the intended percentage of crown scorch for the burn area;
(n) what percentage of the total burnt area was crown scorched;
(o) if the intended percentage of crown scorch was not achieved, what explanation does DEC provide;
(p) were flora and fauna surveys conducted in the burn area before and/or after the prescribed fire in 2010 and/or 2011;
(q) if yes to (1)(p), when and with what outcome;
(r) what species of threatened and priority flora and fauna and/or threatened ecological communities are known to be within the burn area and how were these values managed by DEC before, during and after the fire;
(s) what was the anticipated financial cost of carrying out this burn; and
(t) what has this burn cost to date?
(2) In regard to the Sharpe/Deep burn, also with burn identification number F008, I ask -
(a) how many hectares are within the planned burn area;
(b) on what days in 2010 and, if applicable 2011, was fire applied to the burn area;
(c) how many hectares were burnt as a result of this fire;
(d) what were the intended purposes of this burn;
(e) what fire intensity did the department intend to apply to this area;
(f) was the intended fire intensity achieved;
(g) if no to (2)(f), what explanation does DEC provide for the inconsistency;
(h) what percentage of the total area did DEC intend to burn;
(i) was the intended percentage achieved;
(j) if no to (2)(i), what explanation does DEC provide for the inconsistency;
(k) what was the intended percentage of crown scorch for the burn area;
(l) what was the percentage of crown scorch over the total area burnt;
(m) if the intended percentage of crown scorch was not achieved, what explanation does DEC provide for the inconsistency;
(n) were flora and fauna surveys conducted in the burn area before and/or after the prescribed fire in 2010 and/or 2011;
(o) if yes to (2)(n), when and with what outcome;
(p) what species of threatened and priority flora and fauna and/or threatened ecological communities are known to be within the burn area and how were these values managed by the department before, during and after the fire;
(q) what was the anticipated total financial cost of planning and carrying out this burn; and
(r) what is the total cost of this burn to date?
(1) In regard to the Shannon and Granite Peaks State Forest burn -
(a) how many hectares are within the planned burn area;
(b) how many hectares were burnt as a result of this fire;
(c) on what days in 2010 and 2011 was fire applied to the planned burn area;
(d) was ground ignition on the perimeter of regrowth cells the only method of ignition utilised for this burn;
(e) was regrowth protection the primary purpose of this burn;
(f) what were the other purposes of this burn, in order of priority;
(g) what fire intensity did the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) intend to apply to this area;
(h) was the intended fire intensity achieved;
(i) if no to (1)(h), what explanation does DEC provide for the inconsistency;
(j) what percentage of the total area did DEC intend to burn;
(k) was the intended percentage achieved;
(l) if no to (1)(k), what explanation does DEC provide for the inconsistency;
(m) what was the intended percentage of crown scorch for the burn area;
(n) what percentage of the total burnt area was crown scorched;
(o) if the intended percentage of crown scorch was not achieved, what explanation does DEC provide;
(p) were flora and fauna surveys conducted in the burn area before and/or after the prescribed fire in 2010 and/or 2011;
(q) if yes to (1)(p), when and with what outcome;
(r) what species of threatened and priority flora and fauna and/or threatened ecological communities are known to be within the burn area and how were these values managed by DEC before, during and after the fire;
(s) what was the anticipated financial cost of carrying out this burn; and
(t) what has this burn cost to date?
(2) In regard to the Sharpe/Deep burn, also with burn identification number F008, I ask -
(a) how many hectares are within the planned burn area;
(b) on what days in 2010 and, if applicable 2011, was fire applied to the burn area;
(c) how many hectares were burnt as a result of this fire;
(d) what were the intended purposes of this burn;
(e) what fire intensity did the department intend to apply to this area;
(f) was the intended fire intensity achieved;
(g) if no to (2)(f), what explanation does DEC provide for the inconsistency;
(h) what percentage of the total area did DEC intend to burn;
(i) was the intended percentage achieved;
(j) if no to (2)(i), what explanation does DEC provide for the inconsistency;
(k) what was the intended percentage of crown scorch for the burn area;
(l) what was the percentage of crown scorch over the total area burnt;
(m) if the intended percentage of crown scorch was not achieved, what explanation does DEC provide for the inconsistency;
(n) were flora and fauna surveys conducted in the burn area before and/or after the prescribed fire in 2010 and/or 2011;
(o) if yes to (2)(n), when and with what outcome;
(p) what species of threatened and priority flora and fauna and/or threatened ecological communities are known to be within the burn area and how were these values managed by the department before, during and after the fire;
(q) what was the anticipated total financial cost of planning and carrying out this burn; and
(r) what is the total cost of this burn to date?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
1 November 2011
Responded by
Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Environment
Response time
40 days
The Minister for Environment provides the following response:
(1) (a) 1 114 hectares
(b) 75 hectares
(c) 14 and 15 April 2011
(d) Yes
(e) No
(f) Primary purpose - strategic protection; secondary purpose - biodiversity management.
(g) A mixture of fire intensity with a Forest Fire Behaviour Tables Jarrah Rate of Spread/Fire Danger Index range of 20 to 38 metres per hour.
(h) Yes
(i) Not applicable
(j) Minimum of 70%
(k) No
(l) The burn has not been completed. Only the heath vegetation has been burnt to date resulting in approximately 7% of the area burnt.
(m) Crown scorch was not a listed success criterion for this burn.
(n) Crown scorch was not measured.
(o) Not applicable
(p) Yes
(q) 12 March 2010 and 30 September 2010. No threatened flora was identified in this burn area.
(r) Using DEC's corporate flora and fauna databases and local spatial datasets, the quokka was identified as historically being present within the burn area. Guidance in managing fire relative to this species is provided by the applicable departmental fire management guideline and DEC's Warren Region nature conservation plan.
(s) DEC's budget process identifies a budget for the entire burn program by district, not by individual burns, therefore this information is not available.
(t) DEC's financial system does not capture the cost of individual burns, therefore this information is not available.
(2) (a) 9 153 hectares
(b) 31 October, 1, 2, 3 and 30 November and 1 December 2010, and 17 January 2011.
(c) 7 299 hectares
(d) Biodiversity management and strategic protection.
(e) A mixture of fire intensity with a Forest Fire Behaviour Jarrah Rate of Spread/Fire Danger Index range of 20 to 42 metres per hour.
(f) Yes
(g) Not applicable
(h) A minimum of 70%.
(i) Yes
(j) Not applicable
(k) Crown scorch was not a listed success criterion for this burn.
(l) Crown scorch was not measured.
(m) Not applicable
(n) Yes
(o) Monitoring was carried out 7 and 20 January 2004; 24 February, 31 May, 23 June and 4 July 2005; 22 May 2007; 28 November 2008; 16 March, 19 April and 4 September 2009; 12 March and 30 September 2010 with a number of species identified and information recorded to enable quantification of population abundance and demography prior to the burn to enable interpretation of the burn response.
(p) Using DEC's corporate flora, fauna and ecological communities databases and local spatial datasets
Andersonia redolans
(P1),
Gonocarpus simplex
(P3),
Banksia serra
(P3),
Meziella trifida
(threatened),
Astartea sp
. Mt Johnson (P3),
Andersonia virolens
(P2), quokka, Western mud minnow, Balston's Pygmy Perch, chuditch and black cockatoos were identified. Guidance in managing fire relative to these species is provided by recovery plans, fire management guidelines and DEC's Warren Region nature conservation plan at a landscape level. The burn was implemented with a focus of achieving mild fire behaviour in yellow tingle ecotype zones.
(q) DEC's budget process identifies a budget for the entire burn program by district, not by individual burns, therefore this information is not available.
(r) DEC's financial system does not capture the cost of individual burns, therefore this information is not available.
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(1) (a) 1 114 hectares
(b) 75 hectares
(c) 14 and 15 April 2011
(d) Yes
(e) No
(f) Primary purpose - strategic protection; secondary purpose - biodiversity management.
(g) A mixture of fire intensity with a Forest Fire Behaviour Tables Jarrah Rate of Spread/Fire Danger Index range of 20 to 38 metres per hour.
(h) Yes
(i) Not applicable
(j) Minimum of 70%
(k) No
(l) The burn has not been completed. Only the heath vegetation has been burnt to date resulting in approximately 7% of the area burnt.
(m) Crown scorch was not a listed success criterion for this burn.
(n) Crown scorch was not measured.
(o) Not applicable
(p) Yes
(q) 12 March 2010 and 30 September 2010. No threatened flora was identified in this burn area.
(r) Using DEC's corporate flora and fauna databases and local spatial datasets, the quokka was identified as historically being present within the burn area. Guidance in managing fire relative to this species is provided by the applicable departmental fire management guideline and DEC's Warren Region nature conservation plan.
(s) DEC's budget process identifies a budget for the entire burn program by district, not by individual burns, therefore this information is not available.
(t) DEC's financial system does not capture the cost of individual burns, therefore this information is not available.
(2) (a) 9 153 hectares
(b) 31 October, 1, 2, 3 and 30 November and 1 December 2010, and 17 January 2011.
(c) 7 299 hectares
(d) Biodiversity management and strategic protection.
(e) A mixture of fire intensity with a Forest Fire Behaviour Jarrah Rate of Spread/Fire Danger Index range of 20 to 42 metres per hour.
(f) Yes
(g) Not applicable
(h) A minimum of 70%.
(i) Yes
(j) Not applicable
(k) Crown scorch was not a listed success criterion for this burn.
(l) Crown scorch was not measured.
(m) Not applicable
(n) Yes
(o) Monitoring was carried out 7 and 20 January 2004; 24 February, 31 May, 23 June and 4 July 2005; 22 May 2007; 28 November 2008; 16 March, 19 April and 4 September 2009; 12 March and 30 September 2010 with a number of species identified and information recorded to enable quantification of population abundance and demography prior to the burn to enable interpretation of the burn response.
(p) Using DEC's corporate flora, fauna and ecological communities databases and local spatial datasets
Andersonia redolans
(P1),
Gonocarpus simplex
(P3),
Banksia serra
(P3),
Meziella trifida
(threatened),
Astartea sp
. Mt Johnson (P3),
Andersonia virolens
(P2), quokka, Western mud minnow, Balston's Pygmy Perch, chuditch and black cockatoos were identified. Guidance in managing fire relative to these species is provided by recovery plans, fire management guidelines and DEC's Warren Region nature conservation plan at a landscape level. The burn was implemented with a focus of achieving mild fire behaviour in yellow tingle ecotype zones.
(q) DEC's budget process identifies a budget for the entire burn program by district, not by individual burns, therefore this information is not available.
(r) DEC's financial system does not capture the cost of individual burns, therefore this information is not available.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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