Bushfire preparedness
Mr BOURMAN (Eastern Victoria) (12:14): My question today is for the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, represented by Minister Jennings. The rain pattern in Victoria these last few months is uneven, and whilst there are areas of Victoria with plenty of rainfall, there are others, such as East Gippsland, which are still in severe drought conditions, as they have been for the last couple of years. Large parts of East Gippsland have both national parks and state forests, which will be in a bone-dry state shortly. I truly hope this coming bushfire season comes and goes without a major fire in East Gippsland, but hope alone is not going to achieve anything, so my question is: what has the government been doing specifically in East Gippsland to prepare for the coming fire season?
Mr JENNINGS (South Eastern Metropolitan—Leader of the Government, Special Minister of State, Minister for Priority Precincts, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs) (12:15): I thank Mr Bourman for his question, and I will refer his question to the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, who is responsible for her agencies dealing with the substantial part of the fuel reduction burning and preparation for the fire season. As Mr Bourman would clearly understand, the majority—the vast majority—of fuel reduction burning that takes place in the Victorian landscape takes place in autumn. Autumn is the season when most fuel reduction burning takes place. A reduced program is always available in spring, and virtually no fuel reduction burning takes place ever in any year in winter months. So whilst there is acuity in the landscape, whilst there are dry parts of the landscape, the winter rains have not affected that program. Ultimately there are other measures that take place in terms of fire lines and tracks that are placed within the forest not only to protect human and community assets but also to protect forests values. So there can be some activity in that form that takes place during the course of those months, but again that would be impacted by the prevailing weather conditions. Within that general description of how fire preparation works, I will ask my colleague to augment in a more specific way what I have indicated to you.
Mr BOURMAN (Eastern Victoria) (12:16): I thank the minister for his answer. My supplementary question is a little at odds with one of the statements the minister just made. Even fuel reduction efforts—it was about two or three weeks ago—have not escaped the interference of activists, with some getting in the way of the fuel reduction burn. How will the government deal with situations to ensure that whatever fuel reduction burns or other fuel reduction methods it needs to do will be carried out on time?
The PRESIDENT: The minister is to answer that in relation to East Gippsland. Then that will be supplementary to Mr Bourman’s original question.