Question On Notice No. 2811 asked in the Legislative Council on 18 February 2020 by Hon Diane Evers
Question Directed to the: Minister for Environment
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Tabled Paper No: 3738-
View tabled paper
Question
I refer to the Walpole Wilderness Management Plan, and I ask:
(a) how many established and mapped Fire Exclusion Reference Areas (FERA) have been established;
(b) what is the fuel age (time since last burn) of these FERA;
(c) will the Minister please table maps showing FERA since 2008:
(i) if no, why not;
(d) have any changes to the FERA occurred in the last five years:
(i) if yes to (d), what is the process for amending FERA; and
(ii) if yes to (d), what consultation occurred prior to the amendment;
(e) have any burns occurred in areas that were previously a FERA; and
(f) will the Minister please table a copy of the Denbarker burn plan?
Answered on 31 March 2020
(a) There are seven Fire Exclusion Reference Areas (FERA) currently identified within the Walpole Wilderness.
(b) Time since last fire for these FERA is as follows:
- Dixie last burnt in 2015
- Long last burnt in 1995
- Murtin last burnt in 2004
- O’Sullivan last burnt in 2015
- Sheepwash last burnt in 2011
- Swarbrick last burnt in 1975
- Willmott last burnt in 2014
(c) See tabled papers no # showing FERA from 2008, and maps from 2012, 2016 and 2020 showing changes in FERA since 2008.
(d) Yes.
(d)(i) Staff across the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) reviewed the FERA to assess their status in relation to the established definition and criteria in the Prescribed Burn Planning Manual. The revised list of FERA and supporting boundary definitions was endorsed by DBCA in 2016.
(d)(ii) External consultation on FERA is not required.
(e) Yes.
(f) See tabled paper no #.