THE OFFICE OF BUSHFIRE RISK MANAGEMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND BUSHFIRE RISK MANAGEMENT REFORM

NAMN Forum

12 August 2015

THE OFFICE OF BUSHFIRE RISK MANAGEMENT

Established in early 2012 as part of the State

Government’s response to the findings of the Keelty report

“Appreciating the Risk”

OBRM was created to regulate prescribed burning as an

independent office within the Department of Fire &

Emergency Services (DFES)

Reports directly to the Fire and Emergency Services

Commissioner

OBRMS CHARTER AND CHALLENGE

Mission statement :“To enhance the efficient and effective management of

bushfire related risk in Western Australia in order to protect

people, assets and other things valuable to communities.”

Charter :1. Set and approve state-wide bushfire related risk policy

and standards

2. Monitor and asses agencies’ performance against

standards

3. Report to the FES Commissioner

4. Communicate and promote best practice in bushfire

risk management

BUSHFIRE RISK MANAGEMENT

There is no silver bullet!

Requires a multifaceted approach

Leadership from State and Local Government

Cooperative and consultative development of policies

Review and refinement of policies over time

Involves broader community understanding of bushfire risk

“Best practice guides needs to be written by end users with

experience in fire control and hazard reduction burning - not by

public servants or self proclaimed experts.”

STANDARDISED RISK MANAGEMENT OF PRESCRIBED BURNING

Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) prescribed burning framework, systems and processes aligned to ISO31000

Department of Fire & Emergency Services (DFES) prescribed burning framework and systems aligned to ISO31000

Local Government prescribed burning framework, systems and processes aligned

Com

ing

Soon

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT?

Bushfires Act 1954 responsibility Planning in Bushfire-Prone Areas

Permit to Burn

Bushfire Risk Management Planning

PLANNING IN BUSHFIRE-PRONE AREAS

Local Government input to Bushfire-Prone Area Maps

Implementing Planning and Development Policies and Guidelines (SPP3.7)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT PERMIT TO BURN

Improve understanding and

management of bushfire

risk

Supportive processes for

LG’s and permit holders

Reliable advice to support

planning and

implementation of planned

burns

A contemporary Permit to

Burn Enhance understanding of

roles and responsibilities

Greater consistency in

permit issuing practices

Reduce potential for loss

of planned fire events

Influence review of DFES

publications to reflect best

practice and incorporate

outputs of the project

PERMIT TO BURN TRIAL – PHASE 1

Local Government Permit Trial (2013/14)

Objectives of the trial were:

To trial an enhanced Permit to Burn with several Local Governments (metro and south west); and

To collect permit burning data from participating Local Governments for analysis.

Local Government Consultation (2014)

To seek feedback from all local governments regarding:

The current Permit to Burn format; and

The systems and processes used to manage risks related to permit burning activities.

PHASE 2 - PROJECT OUTPUTS

Project outputs may include some or all of the following:

Checklists and tools for use by the Fire Control Officer;

An application form, including guiding instructions for

the applicant’s information;

An example best practice permit;

An example best practice Prescribed Fire Plan;

A best practice guide for prescribed burning in the

region; and

Supporting information publications and improvements

to DFES publications, including the Fire Control Officer’s

Handbook, Training Manual and Winter Burning Guide.

PHASE 2 – HOW TO DO IT

6 LG Permit Review Zones

Kimberley Pilbara-Gascoyne Mining and Pastoral Northern

Agricultural Southern

Agricultural & Forest Metro

BUSHFIRE RISK MANAGEMENT PLANNING (BRMP) AND BUSHFIRE RISK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

ISO31000 aligned process Local Government led (DFES supported) ID and prioritise assets at risk from bushfire Planning process that develops and tracks

treatment strategies for managing bushfire risk Supported by database (BRMS) that schedules,

records, analyses and reports on bushfire risk and treatment across the state

Pilot undertaken 2014 (4 LGs)

WHICH 16 LG’S SO FAR?

LSW - Nannup, Boyup Brook, Augusta-Margaret

River, Donnybrook-Ballingup, Bridgetown-

Greenbushes

SW – Collie

GS - Jerramungup, Boddington, Ravensthorpe, West

Arthur, Woodanilling

MWG - Irwin, Northampton, Carnamah

GM – Beverley

Metro - Chittering

OBRM ROLE IN BRMP

Responsible for developing the BRMP Standard

(Guidelines, templates and handbook)

Working alongside DFES in the development of

BRMS

Part of the Pilot Reference Group involved in

trialling the pilot guidelines in 4 Local

Governments in the South-West of the State

OTHER REFORM WORK OBRM IS DOING

Quality Assurance – DPaW, DFES, NGOs

Best Practice Guides for Prescribed Burning

THANKYOU

Web: www.dfes.wa.gov.au/obrm

Email: OBRM@dfes.wa.gov.au

Ph: (08) 9395 9897

PERMIT TRIAL – PHASE 2The project phase will be to consult with stakeholders to determine:

How do we currently perceive and describe risk?

What are the key issues with current processes?

What are the possible solutions to these issues?

How can we work together to address these issues?

What are the minimum requirements for a permit?

What are the components of a best practice model framework?

What elements of the framework should be flexible to allow local government to implement risk management principles tailored to local circumstances?

What tools and information need to be included in a best practice guide for prescribed burning in the region?

PERMIT TRIAL – PHASE 2