The Beagle Editor,
Bushfire Response
The current bushfire situation demands that we immediately implement whatever actions are necessary to reduce the impact of future bushfires and to assist those fighting the fires.
Every road, however minor, must in future be looked upon as an important fire break.
We must either clear all vegetation for a significant distance (perhaps even up to 50 metres) back from both sides of roads, or taper tree heights on each side of roads (to reduce the height of fires along roads and therefore make fire fighting less hazardous and more effective) and annually control-burn the leaf litter along these corridors.
Those willing to collect fallen firewood from these corridors – even if they are in National Parks or State Forests – should be encouraged to do so, to help reduce unnecessary fuel loads.
This requires a major shift in our thinking. But it is clearly now an absolute necessary.
And, next winter, many of the 203,300 unemployed in NSW should be enlisted (and paid) to help establish these firebreak corridors along roads throughout the state.
Peter Lacey
Quaama
