THE State's prescribed burning program has received a $22 million boost with additional funding being allocated in the 2019-20 State Budget.
The increase in funding is in addition to the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) annual prescribed burning budget allocation of $11m for the South West.
Research shows that prescribed burning is effective in reducing the frequency and size of bushfires in the forests of the South West when at least 45 per cent of the landscape has a fuel age of less than six years since last burnt.
To realise this target in the three South West forest regions it manages, DBCA's Parks and Wildlife Service aimed to prescribe burn at least 200,000 hectares each financial year.
The Enhanced Prescribed Burning Program had helped the department achieve this target for the past two consecutive financial years, as it allowed for greater flexibility in the use of seasonal staff and contracted local suppliers such as heavy machinery operators.
Environment Minister Stephen Dawson said the State government remained strongly committed to an appropriate funding model for the DBCA to ensure prescribed burning targets are met.
"We are investing $22m from Royalties for Regions over the next four years to protect the community from the damaging impacts of bushfire," Mr Dawson said.
"The Enhanced Prescribed Burning Program's collaborative approach to bushfire mitigation has enabled DBCA's Parks and Wildlife Service to exceed its prescribed burning targets in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
"With this significant investment from the 2019-20 State Budget, the department can continue to deliver community safety and biodiversity outcomes.
"More than 104,000ha of prescribed burning has been conducted across the department's three South West forest regions this financial year and if favourable autumn weather continues, the department will be well positioned to achieve its 200,000ha annual prescribed burning goal."
Manjimup shire president Paul Omodei has welcomed the prescribed burning funding increase.
He said it was vitally needed and he would like to see more burning carried out around townsites and farming land.
"Usually the 200,000ha target is focused on large tracts of crown land and coastal areas," Mr Omodei said.
"The focus should be on establishing strong perimeters around towns and farming areas, and to be fair I think they are heading in this direction with the burns I have seen lately."
Mr Omodei said advocacy group The Bushfire Front should also be congratulated for its long-term campaign.
"They have been very good at making government aware of the risks," he said.
"I think the government realises that with each summer that goes past where we don't have an uncontrolled burn is a lucky one."
Mr Omodei said there was now an opportunity for the current government to rechannel Royalties for Regions money into prescribed burning and regional roads.
"Royalties for Regions did a lot of good for regional WA and revamped a lot of community facilities," he said.
"It would be damn good politics for the Labor party if they spent more Royalties for Regions money on prescribed burning and regional roads.
"Regional roads are deteriorating and if the government doesn't take note and deal with this, it will escalate and become a big issue that the government can't handle."
The Nationals WA member for Warren Blackwood Terry Redman welcomed last week's announcement and said funding for the program appeared to have gone up in smoke until The Nationals WA put considerable pressure on the Labor government.
"Funding was set to run out on June 30 this year and until now the McGowan government has remained mum on the program's future," Mr Redman said,
"A number of communities across the South West were nervous about Labor cutting another important regional program.
"It's pleasing to see the government has come to the party and funded the program for another four years."
Mr Redman said The Nationals WA raised the matter in Parliament on several occasions and had circulated a petition aimed at changing the government's attitude toward prescribed burning.
"I'm very pleased to see the State government has listened to the concerns of regional communities on this issue and committed funding in the State Budget to continue this essential program," he said.
Mr Redman said a $2.1 million reduction in funding for the South West's Enhanced Prescribed Burning Program in 2018/19 had led to just less than 100,000 hectares being burnt since July 1, 2018.
"This was the worst annual result for prescribed burning since 2013/14, and falls far short of the government's 200,000ha target," he said.
"Now that funding has been committed, it's time for the government to get on with the job, deliver on those targets, and ensure that communities in the South West are safer from the risk of bushfires."
Funding welcome
One group that welcomed the news there would be increased funding for prescribed burning was advocacy group The Bushfire Front.
It has been pushing for increases in prescribed burning for many years now and its chairman Roger Underwood said he was delighted with the announcement of ongoing funding for the fuel reduction program in the South West.
"These funds will mean that it is possible for Parks and Wildlife to make a big dent in the backlog of heavy fuels that accumulated during the decade or so when very little burning was done," Mr Underwood said.
"This decade of inattention to basic land management culminated in the terrible bushfires at Northcliffe, Boddington and Yarloop.
"The funding will also ensure action can be taken to reduce fuels in many beautiful and valuable forests in the Pemberton and Margaret River regions.
"I congratulate Minister Dawson on this responsible decision.
"The situation in the South West is still delicately poised, especially in the Karri forest and in areas around some residential areas like Yallingup and Denmark, but if the burning program can continue these threats will decline."
Mr Underwood said the South West of WA was inherently bush-fire prone.
"This results from the combination of flammable vegetation, hot dry summers and constant fire ignitions," he said.
"European settlement inserted a fire-vulnerable community into this fire-prone environment.
"Unless the situation is managed, the outcome is inevitable disaster.
"Experience over the past 70 years has demonstrated that if bushland fuels are allowed to accumulate, bushfires become unstoppable and do enormous damage.
"Fuel reduction burning alone is not the solution, but it is the key component of an effective bushfire management system.
"I am aware that a small number of people oppose fuel reduction burning in bushland.
"However, I have noticed that these people are unable to come up with a practical and cost-effective alternative.
"Yes, burning can be risky, and must be professionally done but there is a bigger risk if it is not done - the loss of lives and economic and environmental assets in bushfires."
