Australian Capital Territory

Emergencies (Strategic Bushfire Management Plan) 2005

Disallowable Instrument DI 2005‑1

made under the

Emergencies Act 2004, s 72 (Strategic bushfire management plan)

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Outline

The Strategic Bushfire Management Plan is a major underpinning policy document from the Emergencies Act 2004.  The Strategic Bushfire Management plan is developed in consultation with stakeholders and land managers with advice form the bushfire council.

The Plan is a sustainable 10-year solution to bushfire management in the Australian Capital Territory, and reflects the fact that fires have been part of the ACT landscape and history for a long time. 

The initiative is a result of the January 2003 bushfires that devastated many parts of Canberra’s suburbs, surrounding rural properties and forested hills. It reflects the recommendations of the McLeod Report that were adopted by the ACT Government in July 2003.

The plan establishes the basis and framework for the efficient, effective and comprehensive management of fire and fire related activities and is based on the requirement to protect and preserve life, property, assets and the environment through a sharing of responsibility. It will also be reviewed to ensure that it includes the latest scientific and operational developments.

Section 1 of the plan sets the context for the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan including legislative requirements and terminology used in the plan.

Section 2 provides a history of bushfires in the ACT, summarises the causes and considers environmental factors.

Section 3 details a bushfire risk assessment for the ACT.

Section 4 introduces the concept of prevention to minimise bushfire occurrences and effects.  The section deals with vulnerability of homes, reducing bushfire fuel hazards and managing bushfire fuels.

Section 5 deals with preparing to fight bushfires including weather monitoring, community preparedness, whether to evacuate or stay and agency preparedness.

Section 6 sets out strategies for responding to bushfires.

Section 7 provides strategies for recovering from the impacts of bushfires including assessing the health impacts on the ACT community.

Section 8 sets out the framework for monitoring and reporting performance against the objectives established in the plan.

Section 9 deals with the resource requirements which are emerging from the 2004-6 Bushfire Operational Plans.

Section10 is appendices.

End