Prescribed burns essential element of forest management

The Nationals Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland, has condemned attempts to stop prescribed burns in the Strathbogie State Forest as “reckless and dangerous”.

In response to calls from the Animal Justice Party’s Upper House MP, Georgie Purcell, for the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action to halt the burns, Ms Cleeland argued that doing so would result in a dangerous build-up of fuel loads.

Ms Cleeland highlighted the Inspector-General for Emergency Management (IGEM) recommendation into increased prescribed burning throughout the North-East of the state, which is at risk due to delays such as those proposed by Ms Purcell.

Ms Cleeland criticised the Animal Justice Party’s policies as short-sighted, arguing that fuel load reduction is essential to protect lives, livelihoods, and the wildlife that lives in state forests.

“There’s a significant difference between sensible and sustainable fuel reduction and a mega fire sweeping through Strathbogie State Forest,” Ms Cleeland said.

“The window each year for prescribed burns is becoming smaller and smaller.

“Supporting a delay or halt is dangerous. We can’t afford to let fuel loads build up and compound year after year.

“There is no escaping our changing climate and our sustainability practices must be adaptive to these circumstances.

“Fuel reduction must be undertaken regularly given increasingly variable climate conditions.”

Ms Cleeland said there were ways to continue improving the management of native forests.

“The Nationals took a comprehensive forest management policy to the 2022 Victorian election,” Ms Cleeland said.

“The Nationals’ policy supported the introduction and state-wide roll-out of indigenous prescribed burns, known as firestick.

“Indigenous Victorians have managed the landscape for thousands of years, and employing their techniques to manage the natural environment would lead to cooler burns, having a much smaller impact on native flora and fauna.”

Ms Cleeland called on the Animal Justice Party to support planned burns to protect wildlife and reduce the risk of megafires that could have an irreparable impact on the region.

She pledged her full support for sustainable forest management and a long-term understanding of the biodiversity across the region.

“This is an example of a complete inability to think about issues in a holistic manner,” Ms Cleeland said.

“If the Animal Justice Party wants to protect wildlife, they’d support planned burns and not increase the risk of mega fires that will have an irreparable impact on the region.

“I fully support sustainable forest management and long-term understanding of the biodiversity across our region.”