The 2019-2020 Forest Fires - Eastern Victoria

A Bartlett

In accordance with Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) processes, a review of the impact of forest fires in Eastern Victoria on RFA values was undertaken. I was a member of the panel of three which conducted the review between March 2021 and March 2022. The report is available via the link below.

I prepared a presentation containing key elements of the report which included:

Overall
  • Across Victoria, 1.5m ha was burnt, including 1.39m ha of forested land (both parks and state forest).
  • There were major impacts on 3 RFA regions: East Gippsland, Gippsland and the North-East.
Within the East Gippsland RFA Region:
  • 1.21m ha was burnt including 1.05m ha of public land. They were the most extensive and severe bushfires ever to occur in this region. (Compare with the 253,000 ha. burnt in January to March 1983.)
  • 441,800 ha was burnt at high severity.
Two key conclusions of the review were:
  • Victoria’s public land management planning is not well integrated, with most management plans 25-30 years old and poorly connected with recent bushfire management strategies, especially for the protection of environmental values.
  • Current forest and fire management strategies are ineffective in limiting bushfire impacts on many important RFA values, including old growth, threatened species and fire sensitive communities

The presentation is available via the link below:

 

See Also

Fire Management Challenges 2021

 

Major Fire Articles

Fire Topics

There are a number of Fire Research Reports available in the Site Library.

Tony Bartlett

Tony graduated from the VSF in 1975 and the University of Melbourne in 1978. In 1984-85, as a Russell Grimwade scholar, he completed a Master of Science in Forestry at Oxford University. He obtained his PhD from the Australian National University in 2018 which examined factors that affect success of international forestry research projects.

In 1976 he worked at Swifts Creek. In 1979 he worked on forest genetics in the Research Branch before being posted to Gellibrand in 1980 managing hardwood operations in the Gellibrand and then Otways districts until 1984.

In 1986 he moved to Orbost Region of CFL, undertaking roles as the Senior Resource Conservation Officer, Fire Protection Officer and Forest Management Planning Officer until 1993. During this period, he prepared the Orbost Regional Fire Protection Plan and managed the development of the Forest Management Plan for the East Gippsland Forest Management Area. In 1994 he was appointed Manager of Forests and Fire in CNR’s North East region. He authored Fire Research Report No. 38 on the suppression of the 1988 Byadbo and Tingaringy wilderness fires.

Between 1997 and 1999 he was the Manager, Forest Policy in NRE’s head office. During the 1990s, he also worked on the Nepal-Australia Forestry Project for two years and as Vanuatu’s Principal Forest Utilisation Officer for two years.

In 1999, he resigned and moved to Canberra becoming the Director of ACT Forests for six years. He subsequently managed the Commonwealth government’s Forestry Branch before joining the Australian Centre for Agricultural Research as its Forestry Research Program Manager from 2010-2018.

 

Tony Bartlett

Tony graduated from the VSF in 1975 and the University of Melbourne in 1978. In 1984-85, as a Russell Grimwade scholar, he completed a Master of Science in Forestry at Oxford University. He obtained his PhD from the Australian National University in 2018 which examined factors that affect success of international forestry research projects.

In 1976 he worked at Swifts Creek. In 1979 he worked on forest genetics in the Research Branch before being posted to Gellibrand in 1980 managing hardwood operations in the Gellibrand and then Otways districts until 1984.

In 1986 he moved to Orbost Region of CFL, undertaking roles as the Senior Resource Conservation Officer, Fire Protection Officer and Forest Management Planning Officer until 1993. During this period, he prepared the Orbost Regional Fire Protection Plan and managed the development of the Forest Management Plan for the East Gippsland Forest Management Area. In 1994 he was appointed Manager of Forests and Fire in CNR’s North East region. He authored Fire Research Report No. 38 on the suppression of the 1988 Byadbo and Tingaringy wilderness fires.

Between 1997 and 1999 he was the Manager, Forest Policy in NRE’s head office. During the 1990s, he also worked on the Nepal-Australia Forestry Project for two years and as Vanuatu’s Principal Forest Utilisation Officer for two years.

In 1999, he resigned and moved to Canberra becoming the Director of ACT Forests for six years. He subsequently managed the Commonwealth government’s Forestry Branch before joining the Australian Centre for Agricultural Research as its Forestry Research Program Manager from 2010-2018.