❓ A WA parliamentary question regarding a prescribed burn (F110) focusing on its impact on infrastructure, endangered species, and burn management strategies. The Minister's response details preventative measures, assessment procedures, and public access to information.
AnsweredQoN 4838Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to Prescribed Burn F110, and I ask -
(1) How does the Department of Environment and Conservation ensure that local residents in the area maintain power and telephone connection during a prescribed burn?
(2) How many power poles were burnt in the prescribed burn?
(3) What agency paid or pays for the replacement poles and related labour?
(4) Page 7 of the burn plan requires two species to be excluded from the prescribed burn. How is the Department ensuring that these species are not affected by the past and upcoming prescribed burn F110?
(5) The protection of rare or endangered fauna communities (page 7 of burn plan) targets a mild mosaic burn as an outcome of the prescribed burn, and I ask -
(a) what strategies does the Department implement to create a mild mosaic burn;
(b) how do these strategies differ to the usual mosaic burn outcome;
(c) how does the Department assess whether the target has been reached; and
(d) what percentage of fully crown scorched trees is compliant with a mild mosaic burn?
(6) When does the Department assess the status of the known rare or endangered flora or fauna communities?
(7) Who makes this assessment and using what strategies?
(8) How is the outcome of the assessment made public?
(1) How does the Department of Environment and Conservation ensure that local residents in the area maintain power and telephone connection during a prescribed burn?
(2) How many power poles were burnt in the prescribed burn?
(3) What agency paid or pays for the replacement poles and related labour?
(4) Page 7 of the burn plan requires two species to be excluded from the prescribed burn. How is the Department ensuring that these species are not affected by the past and upcoming prescribed burn F110?
(5) The protection of rare or endangered fauna communities (page 7 of burn plan) targets a mild mosaic burn as an outcome of the prescribed burn, and I ask -
(a) what strategies does the Department implement to create a mild mosaic burn;
(b) how do these strategies differ to the usual mosaic burn outcome;
(c) how does the Department assess whether the target has been reached; and
(d) what percentage of fully crown scorched trees is compliant with a mild mosaic burn?
(6) When does the Department assess the status of the known rare or endangered flora or fauna communities?
(7) Who makes this assessment and using what strategies?
(8) How is the outcome of the assessment made public?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
22 November 2011
Responded by
Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Environment
Response time
35 days
The Minister for Environment has provided the following response:
(1) Upon request from the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), Western Power and Telstra advise DEC of the location and a description of their infrastructure located within a proposed prescribed burn area. This information is included in the prescribed fire plan. Prior to ignition of the burn known infrastructure is protected by exclusion from the burn area, removal of any flammable fuel and/or wetting down of the fuel.
(2-3) Nil.
(4) The two species occur in discontinuous fuel associated with rock outcrops. It is planned for both species to be excluded from the burn, by the populations being burnt around prior to the core ignition.
(5) (a) The burn is prescribed to be burnt when the fire weather and fuel moisture conditions are mild. These conditions relate to a desired fire danger index (FDI) of 24-28 in spring and 22-26 in autumn. This prescription uses Forest Fire Behaviour Tables for Western Australia1998 to calculate the FDI.
(b) The strategies are the same.
(c) Observations of fire behaviour and area burnt are recorded on the day of the burn. This information is used to adjust the ignition of the burn and monitor outcomes against the burn success criteria.
(d) Crown scorch is not a measure used to determine a mild mosaic burn for F110.
(6) Rare or endangered populations or communities identified in the prescribed fire plan are assessed prior to commencement and at the appropriate time interval following burn completion.
(7) DEC's nature conservation staff use established scientific survey techniques to assess the condition of populations or communities identified in the prescribed fire plan.
(8) Documents are available for viewing by the public at the WalpoleDEC office at any time. Burn outcomes are communicated annually via DEC's public consultation meetings held in Walpole, Denmarkand Mt Barker.
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(1) Upon request from the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), Western Power and Telstra advise DEC of the location and a description of their infrastructure located within a proposed prescribed burn area. This information is included in the prescribed fire plan. Prior to ignition of the burn known infrastructure is protected by exclusion from the burn area, removal of any flammable fuel and/or wetting down of the fuel.
(2-3) Nil.
(4) The two species occur in discontinuous fuel associated with rock outcrops. It is planned for both species to be excluded from the burn, by the populations being burnt around prior to the core ignition.
(5) (a) The burn is prescribed to be burnt when the fire weather and fuel moisture conditions are mild. These conditions relate to a desired fire danger index (FDI) of 24-28 in spring and 22-26 in autumn. This prescription uses Forest Fire Behaviour Tables for Western Australia1998 to calculate the FDI.
(b) The strategies are the same.
(c) Observations of fire behaviour and area burnt are recorded on the day of the burn. This information is used to adjust the ignition of the burn and monitor outcomes against the burn success criteria.
(d) Crown scorch is not a measure used to determine a mild mosaic burn for F110.
(6) Rare or endangered populations or communities identified in the prescribed fire plan are assessed prior to commencement and at the appropriate time interval following burn completion.
(7) DEC's nature conservation staff use established scientific survey techniques to assess the condition of populations or communities identified in the prescribed fire plan.
(8) Documents are available for viewing by the public at the WalpoleDEC office at any time. Burn outcomes are communicated annually via DEC's public consultation meetings held in Walpole, Denmarkand Mt Barker.
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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