Month: October 2019

The VFFA has been pushing for improved land management practices that include cool burning and other mitigation activities since our inception in 2004.

The following article is being shared as a point of interest, a type of “media watch” so that we can openly debate and discuss the issues.

ABC – RN Summary: It’s been the most devastating September for bushfires in this country on record. Experts are warning of more unprecedented weather events than ever before, and they’re calling for urgent national leadership. In this special collaboration.

A Coronial Inquiry into the Sir Ivan fire near Dunedoo is investigating its cause and how it was handled. Faith in the management of fire services has been shaken, and reports suggest volunteer numbers are dropping.

The VFFA has been observing a trend in recent years where farmers are increasing their own firefighting capability. In some cases, farmers are pooling resources in a manner that is somewhat like the beginnings of early bush fire services in NSW.

Photo: Grant Johnston in Tenterfield

Like many farmers I have been fighting bushfires for over 40 years doing no more than any farmer in helping neighbours.

But in that time I have watched the Rural Fire Service (RFS) develop into a mega bureaucracy that is probably justified in the hinterland of cities and towns but appears overly bureaucratic and expensive around broadacre farms.

Let the volunteers make the decisions that have done all the firefighting for many years and have been fairly happy with the setup.

Since the release of the review, the Rural Fire Brigades Association Queensland (RFBAQ) has been pushing for place-based decision making that would allow local volunteer brigades to have the final say.

“I don’t think any rural fire brigade was ever consulted and gave their approval of an outside group coming to take charge of the fires here and take charge of your machinery and all the rest of it,” he said.

“I don’t think that setup is going to lead to harmony, I think it’s more likely to lead to conflict.”