❓ A parliamentary question addresses concerns about the progress of prescribed burns by the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) in Western Australia, given predictions of a bad bushfire season. The Minister's response highlights WA's proactive approach compared to other states and acknowledges challenges due to weather conditions and smoke impact on urban areas.
AnsweredQoN 1404Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer the minister to an answer given to a question without notice in the Legislative Council on 9 December 2003 about the Department of Conservation and Land Management’s controlled burning program, which stated - CALM has planned to burn between 200,000 hectares and 220,000 hectares in the south-west forest regions in the 2003/04 fire season. To the end of November CALM had completed approximately 60,000 hectares of prescribed burns. (1) Given that only just over one-quarter of the prescribed burns have been completed ahead of what is predicted to be a bad summer for bushfires, does the minister consider that CALM is on track to complete its plan to burn 200 000 hectares? (2) If so, can the minister give an indication of when she expects the program of controlled burns to be completed? (3) Is the minister satisfied that the measures taken by CALM to date are sufficient to prevent potentially catastrophic bushfires such as those experienced in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, particularly when the recent report “A Nation Charred: Report on the inquiry into bushfires” identified a lack of prescribed burning as a major contributor to those wildfires? Dr J.M. EDWARDS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. (1)-(3) I will start where the member ended. Members of the select committee that conducted the recent inquiry visited Perth, went out into the field with CALM representatives, looked at the prescribed burning that is undertaken in Western Australia and gave us a big tick. In fact, compared with other States, the inquiry pointed out that Western Australia undertakes prescribed burning and sets targets. Other States do not set targets, so one of the recommendations of the committee report was that targets be set and that agencies move towards achieving those targets. Prescribed burning is a big issue. As the member for Murray-Wellington would be aware, about a month ago we had a couple of days on which the temperature shot up to over 35 degrees, and it was 40 degrees in some parts of the State. For that reason we were very concerned about the Collie area, and for a few days all prescribed burning was stopped because it was unsafe to undertake that prescribed burning. Since then we have had rain and we now have milder conditions. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is continuing to undertake prescribed burning. A number of warnings have been given to city residents when smoke has come over the city. There have not been a lot of complaints about this because, generally speaking, this has occurred during the middle of the night. There have been some quite high levels of particulate emissions over the city as a result of the burning. I have told CALM that it needs to continue to try to reach its target. In any given year, the target will always be a bit higher than what will be achieved. That is because absolutely every area that could be burned is mapped out by CALM. The Government is totally behind CALM undertaking prescribed burning and is making sure that this is being done. The Government also makes it clear that, with CALM undertaking prescribed burning, city people will at times have to put up with smoke coming over the city from those prescribed burns.
(2) If so, can the minister give an indication of when she expects the program of controlled burns to be completed? (3) Is the minister satisfied that the measures taken by CALM to date are sufficient to prevent potentially catastrophic bushfires such as those experienced in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, particularly when the recent report “A Nation Charred: Report on the inquiry into bushfires” identified a lack of prescribed burning as a major contributor to those wildfires? Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for the question. (1)-(3) I will start where the member ended. Members of the select committee that conducted the recent inquiry visited Perth, went out into the field with CALM representatives, looked at the prescribed burning that is undertaken in Western Australia and gave us a big tick. In fact, compared with other States, the inquiry pointed out that Western Australia undertakes prescribed burning and sets targets. Other States do not set targets, so one of the recommendations of the committee report was that targets be set and that agencies move towards achieving those targets. Prescribed burning is a big issue. As the member for Murray-Wellington would be aware, about a month ago we had a couple of days on which the temperature shot up to over 35 degrees, and it was 40 degrees in some parts of the State. For that reason we were very concerned about the Collie area, and for a few days all prescribed burning was stopped because it was unsafe to undertake that prescribed burning. Since then we have had rain and we now have milder conditions. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is continuing to undertake prescribed burning. A number of warnings have been given to city residents when smoke has come over the city. There have not been a lot of complaints about this because, generally speaking, this has occurred during the middle of the night. There have been some quite high levels of particulate emissions over the city as a result of the burning. I have told CALM that it needs to continue to try to reach its target. In any given year, the target will always be a bit higher than what will be achieved. That is because absolutely every area that could be burned is mapped out by CALM. The Government is totally behind CALM undertaking prescribed burning and is making sure that this is being done. The Government also makes it clear that, with CALM undertaking prescribed burning, city people will at times have to put up with smoke coming over the city from those prescribed burns.
(3) Is the minister satisfied that the measures taken by CALM to date are sufficient to prevent potentially catastrophic bushfires such as those experienced in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, particularly when the recent report “A Nation Charred: Report on the inquiry into bushfires” identified a lack of prescribed burning as a major contributor to those wildfires? Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for the question. (1)-(3) I will start where the member ended. Members of the select committee that conducted the recent inquiry visited Perth, went out into the field with CALM representatives, looked at the prescribed burning that is undertaken in Western Australia and gave us a big tick. In fact, compared with other States, the inquiry pointed out that Western Australia undertakes prescribed burning and sets targets. Other States do not set targets, so one of the recommendations of the committee report was that targets be set and that agencies move towards achieving those targets. Prescribed burning is a big issue. As the member for Murray-Wellington would be aware, about a month ago we had a couple of days on which the temperature shot up to over 35 degrees, and it was 40 degrees in some parts of the State. For that reason we were very concerned about the Collie area, and for a few days all prescribed burning was stopped because it was unsafe to undertake that prescribed burning. Since then we have had rain and we now have milder conditions. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is continuing to undertake prescribed burning. A number of warnings have been given to city residents when smoke has come over the city. There have not been a lot of complaints about this because, generally speaking, this has occurred during the middle of the night. There have been some quite high levels of particulate emissions over the city as a result of the burning. I have told CALM that it needs to continue to try to reach its target. In any given year, the target will always be a bit higher than what will be achieved. That is because absolutely every area that could be burned is mapped out by CALM. The Government is totally behind CALM undertaking prescribed burning and is making sure that this is being done. The Government also makes it clear that, with CALM undertaking prescribed burning, city people will at times have to put up with smoke coming over the city from those prescribed burns.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for the question. (1)-(3) I will start where the member ended. Members of the select committee that conducted the recent inquiry visited Perth, went out into the field with CALM representatives, looked at the prescribed burning that is undertaken in Western Australia and gave us a big tick. In fact, compared with other States, the inquiry pointed out that Western Australia undertakes prescribed burning and sets targets. Other States do not set targets, so one of the recommendations of the committee report was that targets be set and that agencies move towards achieving those targets. Prescribed burning is a big issue. As the member for Murray-Wellington would be aware, about a month ago we had a couple of days on which the temperature shot up to over 35 degrees, and it was 40 degrees in some parts of the State. For that reason we were very concerned about the Collie area, and for a few days all prescribed burning was stopped because it was unsafe to undertake that prescribed burning. Since then we have had rain and we now have milder conditions. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is continuing to undertake prescribed burning. A number of warnings have been given to city residents when smoke has come over the city. There have not been a lot of complaints about this because, generally speaking, this has occurred during the middle of the night. There have been some quite high levels of particulate emissions over the city as a result of the burning. I have told CALM that it needs to continue to try to reach its target. In any given year, the target will always be a bit higher than what will be achieved. That is because absolutely every area that could be burned is mapped out by CALM. The Government is totally behind CALM undertaking prescribed burning and is making sure that this is being done. The Government also makes it clear that, with CALM undertaking prescribed burning, city people will at times have to put up with smoke coming over the city from those prescribed burns.
I thank the member for the question. (1)-(3) I will start where the member ended. Members of the select committee that conducted the recent inquiry visited Perth, went out into the field with CALM representatives, looked at the prescribed burning that is undertaken in Western Australia and gave us a big tick. In fact, compared with other States, the inquiry pointed out that Western Australia undertakes prescribed burning and sets targets. Other States do not set targets, so one of the recommendations of the committee report was that targets be set and that agencies move towards achieving those targets. Prescribed burning is a big issue. As the member for Murray-Wellington would be aware, about a month ago we had a couple of days on which the temperature shot up to over 35 degrees, and it was 40 degrees in some parts of the State. For that reason we were very concerned about the Collie area, and for a few days all prescribed burning was stopped because it was unsafe to undertake that prescribed burning. Since then we have had rain and we now have milder conditions. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is continuing to undertake prescribed burning. A number of warnings have been given to city residents when smoke has come over the city. There have not been a lot of complaints about this because, generally speaking, this has occurred during the middle of the night. There have been some quite high levels of particulate emissions over the city as a result of the burning. I have told CALM that it needs to continue to try to reach its target. In any given year, the target will always be a bit higher than what will be achieved. That is because absolutely every area that could be burned is mapped out by CALM. The Government is totally behind CALM undertaking prescribed burning and is making sure that this is being done. The Government also makes it clear that, with CALM undertaking prescribed burning, city people will at times have to put up with smoke coming over the city from those prescribed burns.
(1)-(3) I will start where the member ended. Members of the select committee that conducted the recent inquiry visited Perth, went out into the field with CALM representatives, looked at the prescribed burning that is undertaken in Western Australia and gave us a big tick. In fact, compared with other States, the inquiry pointed out that Western Australia undertakes prescribed burning and sets targets. Other States do not set targets, so one of the recommendations of the committee report was that targets be set and that agencies move towards achieving those targets. Prescribed burning is a big issue. As the member for Murray-Wellington would be aware, about a month ago we had a couple of days on which the temperature shot up to over 35 degrees, and it was 40 degrees in some parts of the State. For that reason we were very concerned about the Collie area, and for a few days all prescribed burning was stopped because it was unsafe to undertake that prescribed burning. Since then we have had rain and we now have milder conditions. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is continuing to undertake prescribed burning. A number of warnings have been given to city residents when smoke has come over the city. There have not been a lot of complaints about this because, generally speaking, this has occurred during the middle of the night. There have been some quite high levels of particulate emissions over the city as a result of the burning. I have told CALM that it needs to continue to try to reach its target. In any given year, the target will always be a bit higher than what will be achieved. That is because absolutely every area that could be burned is mapped out by CALM. The Government is totally behind CALM undertaking prescribed burning and is making sure that this is being done. The Government also makes it clear that, with CALM undertaking prescribed burning, city people will at times have to put up with smoke coming over the city from those prescribed burns.
(2) If so, can the minister give an indication of when she expects the program of controlled burns to be completed? (3) Is the minister satisfied that the measures taken by CALM to date are sufficient to prevent potentially catastrophic bushfires such as those experienced in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, particularly when the recent report “A Nation Charred: Report on the inquiry into bushfires” identified a lack of prescribed burning as a major contributor to those wildfires? Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for the question. (1)-(3) I will start where the member ended. Members of the select committee that conducted the recent inquiry visited Perth, went out into the field with CALM representatives, looked at the prescribed burning that is undertaken in Western Australia and gave us a big tick. In fact, compared with other States, the inquiry pointed out that Western Australia undertakes prescribed burning and sets targets. Other States do not set targets, so one of the recommendations of the committee report was that targets be set and that agencies move towards achieving those targets. Prescribed burning is a big issue. As the member for Murray-Wellington would be aware, about a month ago we had a couple of days on which the temperature shot up to over 35 degrees, and it was 40 degrees in some parts of the State. For that reason we were very concerned about the Collie area, and for a few days all prescribed burning was stopped because it was unsafe to undertake that prescribed burning. Since then we have had rain and we now have milder conditions. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is continuing to undertake prescribed burning. A number of warnings have been given to city residents when smoke has come over the city. There have not been a lot of complaints about this because, generally speaking, this has occurred during the middle of the night. There have been some quite high levels of particulate emissions over the city as a result of the burning. I have told CALM that it needs to continue to try to reach its target. In any given year, the target will always be a bit higher than what will be achieved. That is because absolutely every area that could be burned is mapped out by CALM. The Government is totally behind CALM undertaking prescribed burning and is making sure that this is being done. The Government also makes it clear that, with CALM undertaking prescribed burning, city people will at times have to put up with smoke coming over the city from those prescribed burns.
(3) Is the minister satisfied that the measures taken by CALM to date are sufficient to prevent potentially catastrophic bushfires such as those experienced in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, particularly when the recent report “A Nation Charred: Report on the inquiry into bushfires” identified a lack of prescribed burning as a major contributor to those wildfires? Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for the question. (1)-(3) I will start where the member ended. Members of the select committee that conducted the recent inquiry visited Perth, went out into the field with CALM representatives, looked at the prescribed burning that is undertaken in Western Australia and gave us a big tick. In fact, compared with other States, the inquiry pointed out that Western Australia undertakes prescribed burning and sets targets. Other States do not set targets, so one of the recommendations of the committee report was that targets be set and that agencies move towards achieving those targets. Prescribed burning is a big issue. As the member for Murray-Wellington would be aware, about a month ago we had a couple of days on which the temperature shot up to over 35 degrees, and it was 40 degrees in some parts of the State. For that reason we were very concerned about the Collie area, and for a few days all prescribed burning was stopped because it was unsafe to undertake that prescribed burning. Since then we have had rain and we now have milder conditions. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is continuing to undertake prescribed burning. A number of warnings have been given to city residents when smoke has come over the city. There have not been a lot of complaints about this because, generally speaking, this has occurred during the middle of the night. There have been some quite high levels of particulate emissions over the city as a result of the burning. I have told CALM that it needs to continue to try to reach its target. In any given year, the target will always be a bit higher than what will be achieved. That is because absolutely every area that could be burned is mapped out by CALM. The Government is totally behind CALM undertaking prescribed burning and is making sure that this is being done. The Government also makes it clear that, with CALM undertaking prescribed burning, city people will at times have to put up with smoke coming over the city from those prescribed burns.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for the question. (1)-(3) I will start where the member ended. Members of the select committee that conducted the recent inquiry visited Perth, went out into the field with CALM representatives, looked at the prescribed burning that is undertaken in Western Australia and gave us a big tick. In fact, compared with other States, the inquiry pointed out that Western Australia undertakes prescribed burning and sets targets. Other States do not set targets, so one of the recommendations of the committee report was that targets be set and that agencies move towards achieving those targets. Prescribed burning is a big issue. As the member for Murray-Wellington would be aware, about a month ago we had a couple of days on which the temperature shot up to over 35 degrees, and it was 40 degrees in some parts of the State. For that reason we were very concerned about the Collie area, and for a few days all prescribed burning was stopped because it was unsafe to undertake that prescribed burning. Since then we have had rain and we now have milder conditions. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is continuing to undertake prescribed burning. A number of warnings have been given to city residents when smoke has come over the city. There have not been a lot of complaints about this because, generally speaking, this has occurred during the middle of the night. There have been some quite high levels of particulate emissions over the city as a result of the burning. I have told CALM that it needs to continue to try to reach its target. In any given year, the target will always be a bit higher than what will be achieved. That is because absolutely every area that could be burned is mapped out by CALM. The Government is totally behind CALM undertaking prescribed burning and is making sure that this is being done. The Government also makes it clear that, with CALM undertaking prescribed burning, city people will at times have to put up with smoke coming over the city from those prescribed burns.
I thank the member for the question. (1)-(3) I will start where the member ended. Members of the select committee that conducted the recent inquiry visited Perth, went out into the field with CALM representatives, looked at the prescribed burning that is undertaken in Western Australia and gave us a big tick. In fact, compared with other States, the inquiry pointed out that Western Australia undertakes prescribed burning and sets targets. Other States do not set targets, so one of the recommendations of the committee report was that targets be set and that agencies move towards achieving those targets. Prescribed burning is a big issue. As the member for Murray-Wellington would be aware, about a month ago we had a couple of days on which the temperature shot up to over 35 degrees, and it was 40 degrees in some parts of the State. For that reason we were very concerned about the Collie area, and for a few days all prescribed burning was stopped because it was unsafe to undertake that prescribed burning. Since then we have had rain and we now have milder conditions. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is continuing to undertake prescribed burning. A number of warnings have been given to city residents when smoke has come over the city. There have not been a lot of complaints about this because, generally speaking, this has occurred during the middle of the night. There have been some quite high levels of particulate emissions over the city as a result of the burning. I have told CALM that it needs to continue to try to reach its target. In any given year, the target will always be a bit higher than what will be achieved. That is because absolutely every area that could be burned is mapped out by CALM. The Government is totally behind CALM undertaking prescribed burning and is making sure that this is being done. The Government also makes it clear that, with CALM undertaking prescribed burning, city people will at times have to put up with smoke coming over the city from those prescribed burns.
(1)-(3) I will start where the member ended. Members of the select committee that conducted the recent inquiry visited Perth, went out into the field with CALM representatives, looked at the prescribed burning that is undertaken in Western Australia and gave us a big tick. In fact, compared with other States, the inquiry pointed out that Western Australia undertakes prescribed burning and sets targets. Other States do not set targets, so one of the recommendations of the committee report was that targets be set and that agencies move towards achieving those targets. Prescribed burning is a big issue. As the member for Murray-Wellington would be aware, about a month ago we had a couple of days on which the temperature shot up to over 35 degrees, and it was 40 degrees in some parts of the State. For that reason we were very concerned about the Collie area, and for a few days all prescribed burning was stopped because it was unsafe to undertake that prescribed burning. Since then we have had rain and we now have milder conditions. The Department of Conservation and Land Management is continuing to undertake prescribed burning. A number of warnings have been given to city residents when smoke has come over the city. There have not been a lot of complaints about this because, generally speaking, this has occurred during the middle of the night. There have been some quite high levels of particulate emissions over the city as a result of the burning. I have told CALM that it needs to continue to try to reach its target. In any given year, the target will always be a bit higher than what will be achieved. That is because absolutely every area that could be burned is mapped out by CALM. The Government is totally behind CALM undertaking prescribed burning and is making sure that this is being done. The Government also makes it clear that, with CALM undertaking prescribed burning, city people will at times have to put up with smoke coming over the city from those prescribed burns.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.