Transcript Document
Baths Road Reserve – Fire Management
7/7/2015
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Introduction
The aim of the presentation is to:
Provide an update on the Draft Fire Management
Plan for the reserve and the associated works
undertaken to date
Detail the fire risks associated with the reserve
Detail the reserves environmental values and risks
Outline fuel management options for the reserve
and seek feed back on the various options
Baths Road Reserve, Mirboo
North
7/7/2015
Chris Rankin - South Gippsland Shire Council’s,
Biodiversity Officer
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Draft Fire Management Plan (FMP) &
Works to Date
The Draft Plan for the Reserve includes:
Fuel Management Zones (FMZ) adjacent to
reserve boundaries to reduce the impact of
wildfire on adjacent properties
Baths Road Reserve Fire
Management Plane, Map
7/7/2015
Zone objectives for the fuel management zones
Details on annual/seasonal works to achieve the
zone objectives
A prescribed Burn Plan Identify burning
requirements/objectives for environmental asset
management based on the following:
Ecological assets being managed
Fire ecology attributes of key flora and fauna
species
Distribution of fuel types
Fire history of the site; and
Other factors requiring special protection e.g.
life and asset property protection.
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Draft Fire Management Plan (FMP) & Works
to Date (Cont)
The following works have been undertaken to date:
Fuel reduction works in flame zone areas e.g.
Jordans Way
Fuel reduction/weed control works (between Allen
Street and Jordans Way)
Commencement of track upgrades (vegetation
removal on Jordans Way and Balook Street)
2009 Fire Management
Works - Baths Road
Reserve, Mirboo North
2010 Fuel Management Works, Jordans Way and Baths Road
7/7/2015
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Current Fire Risks for Baths Road Reserve
To protect homes and other assets it is desirable
that they are outside the flame zone and are
exposed to low levels of radiant heat (< 12.5kW/m)
The Wildfire Risk Assessment found that most of
the surrounding homes and the pool are at risk of
being in the flame zone in a catastrophic Code Red
fire event (based on the fuel loads within the
reserve prior to the Flame Zone Works being
undertaken).
A large number of houses are likely to exposed to
high levels of radiant heat in the event of a wildfire
(residents should leave on Severe, Extreme or
Catastrophic fire risk days)
Baths Road Reserve, Aerial Map
7/7/2015
The Draft FMP’s primary focus is the reduction in
risk to the adjacent houses
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Current Fire Risks for Baths Road Reserve
Prescribed Burning
7/7/2015
•
The assessment is not an overall wildfire risk
assessment for each house (average values were
used and only the contribution of the reserve to
bush fire risk was considered)
•
Individual Household Bushfire Site Assessments
should be undertaken by households adjoining the
reserve to determine whether to stay or go (The
safest option is always to leave early)
The Draft Plan recommends the establishment of
an Asset Protection Zone over approximately 75%
of the reserve to reduce the risk to the adjacent
houses.
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Baths Road Reserve – Fire Management Plan, Zones
7/7/2015
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Baths Road Reserve – Fire Management Plan, Operations Plan
7/7/2015
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Environmental Values and Risks Associated
with Fire Management
Beard Orchid, Baths Road
Reserve, Mirboo North
Tufted Fringe Lily, Baths
Road Reserve
7/7/2015
The Reserve is managed by SGSC for the
preservation of flora and fauna, passive recreation
and environmental education
F & F Guarantee Act 1988 provides legal protection
for those plants and animals found on public land
listed under the Act.
Baths Road Reserve contains a high proportion of
regionally of significant vegetation communities:
2 Endangered EVC’s (Shrubby Foothill Forest
and Damp Forest)
2 Vulnerable EVC’s (Lowland Forest and
Over 100 native plant species including 10 of
regional significance
As already indicated the Draft Plan recommends
the establishment of an Asset Protection Zone
over approximately 75% of the reserve to reduce
the risk to the adjacent houses.
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Environmental Values and Risks Associated
with Fire Management (Cont)
Mirboo Lily, Diplarrena moraea
Asset Protection Zones are created by removing
the shrub (midstorey) and ground layers
(understorey) from the vast majority of the Zone.
Ultimately all that remains is the trees (overstorey)
and small groundcovers under 150mm in height.
This means most native plant species are lost and
a reserves habitat values are destroyed
Flax Lily
7/7/2015
Example: Asset Protection Zone, Mirboo North
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Baths Road Reserve – Asset Protection Zone, Fuel Management Examples
Baths Road Reserve
currently with the ,
overstorey, midstorey and
understorey present)
Example of an Asset
Protection Zone with the
midstorey and understorey
removed
7/7/2015
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Baths Road Reserve – Asset Protection Zone, Fuel Management Examples
Asset Protection Zone Clearing – Jordans Way
7/7/2015
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Fire Management options for the Reserve
Option 1: Minimise further Environmental Impacts (Remaining values retained)
No houses in Flame Zone (maintain the cleared Flame Zone areas and grassed
areas (Nth of Allen Street and Nth of Ridgway)
Undertake Prescribed burning (with the assistance of the CFA) in the reserve in
autumn/winter to reduce the fire risk (Asset Protection Zone Areas and the
Ecological Management Zone)
Large number of houses likely to exposed to high levels of radiant heat in the
event of a wildfire (residents should leave on severe, extreme or catastrophic
risk days)
Option 2: Asset Protection Zones reduced by 50% (depth)
No houses likely to be within the Flame Zone
Large number of houses likely to be exposed to high levels of radiant heat
Approximately 40% of the reserve’s environmental values impacted/destroyed
Undertake Prescribed burning (with the assistance of the CFA) in
autumn/winter to reduce the fire risk
Option 3: Asset Protection Zones (based on the current Draft FMP)
No houses likely to be within the Flame Zone
A number of houses likely to be exposed to high levels of radiant heat
Approximately 75% of the reserve’s environmental values impacted/destroyed
Undertake Prescribed burning (with the assistance of the CFA)
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