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Canberra is referred to as the bush capital for good reason. Living in the ACT means we live in or near a bushfire prone environment and having access to surrounding forest and grassland comes with great responsibility.
The Strategic Bushfire Management Plan (SBMP) is the document which sets out how bushfire risk is managed in the ACT. The SBMP is reviewed every five years in consultation with the community and key stakeholders, bringing together experience, views and knowledge to inform the Plan.
The ACTESA and our colleagues at ACT Parks and Conservations Service (PCS) are welcoming Canberrans to comment on the draft 10-year Regional Fire Management Plan to help continue protect our land, environment and the community from bushfire.
The consultation follows from the development of the strategic fire plans and associated fire management zones by government based on new modelling technology. It outlines the different ways the ACT will manage the fuel load in different risk zones across our parks, commercial forests and nature reserves.
The catastrophic 2019-20 bushfire season demonstrated that we must continue to be proactive in mitigating the risk of bushfire impact on life, property, and the environment including important cultural assets.
Strategic bushfire management zones and Regional Fire Management Plan are crucial in achieving this and the community and local environmental groups have important knowledge to inform the work across our urban reserves, Namadgi National Park and Tidbinbilla.
Bushfire management zones – reflect the changing environment and growing population in the ACT and are identified using the best information available on vegetation, fuels and location in landscape.
Asset protection zones – are largely within and around the city, providing a defendable space to allow residents and firefighters a degree of safety before, during and after a bushfire.
Strategic firefighting protection zones – help reduce the intensity and spread of fires across large areas of landscape and include easy access points such as fire trails, roads and creeks.
Community consultation dates
Stakeholder consultation: Monday 22 March 2021, 5:30-7:30pm
ACT Government Dickson Office Building – 480 Northbourne Ave, Dickson ACT
Public consultation session (North Canberra): Wednesday 24 March 2021, 6:30-7:30pm
Canberra Southern Cross Club Jamison
Public consultation session (South Canberra): Wednesday 31 March 2021, 6:30-7:30pm
Canberra Southern Cross Club Tuggeranong
If you are unable to attend a consultation session in person, you can also comment on the plan, which includes online mapping resources that show proposed fuel management activities within the new fire management zones, on the ACT Government YourSay website until 2 May 2021.
