ENHANCED PRESCRIBED
BURNING PROGRAM
203. Hon COLIN HOLT to the Minister for Environment:
I refer to the royalties for regions–funded
enhanced prescribed burning program.
(1) Please confirm that the government's
funding for the enhanced prescribed burning program for the 2018–19
financial year is $3.4 million, as described in the midyear review. If this
figure is not correct, what is the funding for this financial year?
(2) What is the
2018–19 year-to-date figure for hectares burnt under the program?
(3) What does the
minister anticipate the total burn to be for 2018–19?
(4) What was the
total area of prescribed burning in each of 2016–17 and 2017–18?
Hon STEPHEN DAWSON
replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) The $3.4
million showing in the midyear financial review for the enhanced prescribed
burning program is correct and represents the balance of the $20 million amount
that was allocated over a four-year period commencing
in 2015–16. This amount is the result of higher than expected
expenditure against the program in
2016–17 and 2017–18, which resulted in prescribed burning
achievements in the south west of the state of 248 000 and 218 000 hectares respectively. The Department of
Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions will seek approval from the
Department of Treasury for a one-off reallocation of internal funding to this
area should it be required to ensure that there is no impact on the delivery of
the 2019 autumn prescribed burning program. The spring prescribed burning
program in 2018 was not impacted.
(2) As of 19
March 2019, DBCA has achieved 95 633 hectares across the forested region of the
state.
(3) The total
number of hectares achieved for 2018–19 will be dependent on suitable
weather conditions occurring in autumn 2019.
(4) See (1).