The Howitt Society has launched a parliamentary e-petition calling on the State Government to increase its annual bushfire fuel reduction targets.
The e-petition is sponsored by Shadow Assistant Minister for Public Land Use and Eastern Victoria Region MP Melina Bath.
Ms Bath said bushfire mitigation and suppression started before the first spark fell on the forest floor.
“It is proactive landscape management,” Ms Bath said.
She said using cooler months to carry out fuel reduction was an absolute necessity.
“We cannot allow the incredible volume of undergrowth on the forest floor to fuel mega bushfires.
“It’s well known – the greater the fuel load, the hotter and more intense the fire.
“Nothing survives an uncontrollable high intensity bushfire, powered by a build-up of fuel on the forest floor.”
Ms Bath said fuel reduction did not aim to stop bushfire altogether, but it was about shifting focus to manage less intense bushfires – which is why the Howitt Society was calling for a minimum of 5 per cent fuel reduction burns.
“Fire is a natural phenomenon in our Australian landscape and our ecosystems have evolved with fire; many of our native species need fire to regenerate.
“Cool burns, including those practiced by Traditional Owners, actively heal Country, and do not destroy it.
“By managing fuel loads, bushfires can be more easily suppressed and the recovery of our landscape, wildlife and communities is significantly enhanced.
“I am encouraging our community to support the Howitt Society and add their name to the petition calling for an increase in bushfire fuel reduction targets.”
The Howitt Society, its website says, was founded by a group of experienced land and fire managers, scientists, foresters, anthropologists and historians who all shared one passion – caring for Country.
The parliament e-petition can be signed online at bit.ly/3vmp6iaz
