❓ Hon. Diane Evers questions the Minister for Environment regarding the criteria for reigniting prescribed burns, specifically concerning the percentage of area already burnt and the methods used for reignition. The Minister provides clarification on these points, emphasizing the goal of achieving a mosaic burn pattern and prioritizing burn security.
AnsweredQoN 608Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
PARKS AND WILDLIFE SERVICE — PRESCRIBED
BURNING
608. Hon DIANE EVERS to the Minister for Environment:
I refer to the minister's
response to my question without notice 371 on 15 May 2018 on the criteria for
reigniting a burn, which included the comment that ''these criteria are
tailored to individual burns and can address matters such as fuel loads''.
(1) Could the criteria for the
percentage area already burnt ever be as high as 95 per cent?
(2) If no to (1),
what is the highest possible percentage of area burnt considered for reignition,
both procedural and historical?
(3) If the
original burn was set alight via the aerial drop of incendiaries, would a reignition
also be undertaken via this method?
(4) If no to (3), what other methods
would be used?
(5) What other criteria are used to
assess whether a reignition is necessary?
BURNING
608. Hon DIANE EVERS to the Minister for Environment:
I refer to the minister's
response to my question without notice 371 on 15 May 2018 on the criteria for
reigniting a burn, which included the comment that ''these criteria are
tailored to individual burns and can address matters such as fuel loads''.
(1) Could the criteria for the
percentage area already burnt ever be as high as 95 per cent?
(2) If no to (1),
what is the highest possible percentage of area burnt considered for reignition,
both procedural and historical?
(3) If the
original burn was set alight via the aerial drop of incendiaries, would a reignition
also be undertaken via this method?
(4) If no to (3), what other methods
would be used?
(5) What other criteria are used to
assess whether a reignition is necessary?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) No. Within an
individual burn area, the objective is to achieve a mosaic of areas burnt at
varying intensity, including unburnt patches. Therefore, in regard to meeting
burn success criteria, there would be no practical reason to reignite an area
that was 95 per cent burnt.
(2) Any
reignition to meet burn success criteria is unlikely to occur if a burn has
already reached a threshold of 80 per cent burnt.
(3)–(4) Any
reignition may be undertaken by either aerial ignition or hand ignition or a combination
of both.
(5) Apart from
meeting specific burn success criteria, the most common criteria for reignition
of a burn is to meet required burn security standards to minimise the risk of
burn escape.
some notice of the question.
(1) No. Within an
individual burn area, the objective is to achieve a mosaic of areas burnt at
varying intensity, including unburnt patches. Therefore, in regard to meeting
burn success criteria, there would be no practical reason to reignite an area
that was 95 per cent burnt.
(2) Any
reignition to meet burn success criteria is unlikely to occur if a burn has
already reached a threshold of 80 per cent burnt.
(3)–(4) Any
reignition may be undertaken by either aerial ignition or hand ignition or a combination
of both.
(5) Apart from
meeting specific burn success criteria, the most common criteria for reignition
of a burn is to meet required burn security standards to minimise the risk of
burn escape.
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