| Project Title | Northern Gulf Fire Management Planning |
| Partner | Cape York Peninsula Sustainable Futures |
| Funding | $33,100 through the Australian Government Transitional Regional Investment Strategy funding 2008 – 2009 |
| Description |
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| Commenced | 25th September, 2008 |
| Due for Completion | 30th June, 2009 |
| Final Report |
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| 1. Fire Management Plans were developed for 6 contiguous properties and were specific to the needs and conditions on each property 2. GIS mapping activities were undertaken to spatially explain the plans 3. The plans provided guidance and methods for monitoring, reporting and evaluating fire plans over time using remote sensing and on-ground knowledge |
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| Project Impact | |
| The primary outcome was that the six property owners now have documented fire plans and an on-going process to review and monitor the results of fire management on their properties. The level of impact of the project was variable depending on the circumstances of the individual land holders. |
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| The project has met most of the benefits expected in the project proposal, however to meet the full scope of anticipated benefits, the process needs further ‘bedding down’. The process follows an adaptive management cycle, with planning, operations, monitoring and review. This project provided the planning stage, and a framework for monitoring and review. Operations will occur over the coming year – so the cycle is not yet complete. Experience elsewhere shows that guidance is required for a further two to three years post-planning, so the monitoring and review process becomes habitual. Therefore, the framework is there, but further guidance is required to ensure it becomes operational. Fire management is imperative on pastoral properties in the tropical savannas. It has multiple uses from wildfire mitigation, pasture improvement, weed control and others. Getting fire management right is also crucial to maintaining biodiversity. The cost is miniscule compared to the benefits associated with mitigating against wildfire, loss of species and land degradation through weed invasion. |
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| Information gaps/risks The project commenced later than originally planned and access was hampered by the on-set of the wet season, so limited ground-truthing was undertaken. This was not considered to pose a high risk, given the property owners knowledge of the landscape and local fire patterns and practices. The main shortfall was to do with the short-term nature of the funding. The project was originally conceived for delivery over 5 years, with on-going extension and follow-up support. This longer timeframe is required to establish vegetation monitoring plots directly related to fire management objectives and to consolidate the adaptive management process by facilitating monitoring and review of annual operations. An identified gap was the continuing need for on-ground feedback to ensure accuracy of satellite mapping products. In a number of instances, fires were apparent from hot-spot data, but not fire-scar data. Web-based fire scar maps are being checked with the original imagery so any problem areas can be rectified (for longer term quality assurance). To develop the use of satellite data to its full potential requires such ground-truthing so the best use of this technology, and an understanding of its limitations, is well understood. |
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| Conclusions and recommendations The main benefit of the work to natural resource managers is that a template is available to guide the preparation of fire plans on other properties in the region. The planning process is comprehensive and covers strategic direction through to an immediate on-ground action plan. It also includes data sheets for monitoring, reporting and review in order to build knowledge over time. The property owners themselves have clear directions on how to proceed and the confidence that this has been well considered (seeking outside experience and knowledge, and viewing their properties in the landscape context. All six plans are already being implemented, and for some, the plans have facilitated communication with the local community and Rural Fire Brigades involved in implementation. The key recommendation is that the project be continued for 2 to 3 years as originally planned in order to consolidate the process and ensure a holistic system is in place. The first year operations should be reviewed to ensure more completed understanding and application of the process. Monitoring plots should also be established to gauge success over time. Concurrently, fire plans should be developed in a new sub-regional area so a consistent process is put in place across the region. Finally, the fire planning process itself could be improved by the ‘Infonet’ project developed in the Northern Territory to provide web-based GIS information at the property level. If a similar system was operating Queensland, and managers were provided with training on its use, there would be an opportunity for significantly improving landscape-scale fire management. |
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For further information contact Trish Butler at Cape York Sustainable Futures