Pilot Project 2014
Work on developing a Bushfire Risk Management Plan (BRMP) for the Shire of Augusta Margaret River is underway. The State Government funded pilot project will initially focus on the Gnarabup-Prevelly area, building on previous strategic work completed by the Shire of Augusta Margaret River and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services. Pending the success of this pilot project, bushfire risk planning will be expanded to include the remainder of the local government area.
The capacity of the community to identify the risk of a bushfire and build resilience to reduce the impact from bushfire are key recommendations of the A Shared Responsibility and Appreciating the Risk reports prepared by Mick Keelty following the Perth Hills and Margaret River bushfires.
This project builds on recommendations from these reports and will seek to identify assets valued by the community that are at risk of bushfire and develop coordinated treatment actions to ensure people, property and items of community value are protected from the threat of fire.
Reducing the risk of bushfire is a shared responsibility and the annual treatment plan to implement the actions identified in this BRMP will be undertaken by the relevant land owners, land managers and fire agencies. The BRMP will facilitate the effective use of available financial and physical resources and ensure all stakeholders are building bushfire mitigation activities into their business practices.
The development of the BRMP will include meeting with key stakeholders including community groups, land owners and land managers, government agencies, infrastructure managers and major businesses at formal and in one-to-one meetings. These meetings will enable the identification of key human, economic, environmental and cultural assets, what is being done now to protect these assets and what needs to be done in the future to ensure provide a safer environment.
A community stakeholder meeting is planned to be held in early June. More information will be provided through the local papers and on the Shire’s website.
If you wish to know more about the project, please contact the Bushfire Risk Planning Coordinator John Carter on 9780 5256 or by email on jcarter@amrshire.wa.gov.au.
