Inaugural National Bushfire Preparedness Summit

Friday 29 Sep 2023

 
As Australia gears up for a warmer and drier summer season, Cambara hosted the inaugural National Bushfire Preparedness Summit this week. The Prime Minister and the Minister for Emergency Management both spoke to around 250 crisis management, response and recovery specialists from governments, industry and the community.

The aim of the two-day event was to better share resources and build national-level coordination and consequence management in an engaging environment. The Summit included a range of scenario exercises based on the seasonal outlook, to examine how each organisation will respond individually and collectively.

The Minister for Emergency Management, Murray Watt said since the Black Summer Bushfires, two-thirds of Australians have been impacted by natural disasters - some more than once.

"We know that due to climate change, disasters will become increasingly frequent and intense, which is why we have taken significant steps to build our resilience and response capabilities," Minister Watt said.

The Summit was also attended by representatives from the forestry sector.

The President of Forestry Australia Dr Michelle Freeman said, “It’s great to see the national spotlight on the critically important issue of bushfire preparedness, but this must be more than just a two-day flash in the pan.”

“Being bushfire ready doesn’t happen overnight, it is a 365-day-a-year job that demands a long-term commitment to evidence-based approaches.

“To protect human life and forest biodiversity, fire must be strategically planned and managed at a landscape scale and over long timeframes.

“Fire in forests must be supported by legislation, government policy, and ongoing research. Fire must be managed by professionally trained, experienced, and accredited forest managers in partnership with Traditional Custodians, not just emergency service or defence agencies.”

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Source: Forestry Australia & Mirage.News
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