Protesters gather in Margaret River to speak out against prescribed burning

A crowd of more than 100 gathered in Margaret River last week, voices booming and placards held high, demanding a change to the State Government’s ongoing prescribed burning regimen.

Members of the Margaret River community joined the WA Forest Alliance to protest the ongoing “enormously damaging” practice run by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

The protesters pressed for the State Government to adopt a rapid suppression technology and put an end to its prescribed burning which sees close to 200,000ha of native forest set ablaze each year under the DBCA’s current practice.

Speaking to the crowd, WA Forest Alliance senior campaigner Jason Fowler said it was vital people understood the fight was not against the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, which he said did a great job protecting homes and towns from fires.

“The real problem lies in how we manage the fires out there in the wilderness,” he said.

“We at the Forest Alliance have been saying louder, louder and louder that the DBCA’s prescribed burning program is failing.”

Mr Fowler said as the climate continues to dry and summers get hotter and longer, the windows when prescribed burning can be safely preformed is shrinking.

“This is really evident in the fact that last season only half of all the prescribed burns happened within priority one zones (within 3km of towns), the areas that really protect us,” he said.

“Prescribed burning is failing and it’s not protecting our homes anymore, it’s just doing enormous damage to our forests.”

A spokesperson for the DBCA said its management approach continued to be informed by the best available science and operational evidence.

“From a biodiversity perspective, prescribed burning is undertaken to maintain a range of wildlife habitats by creating low-fuel areas in a mosaic of burnt and unburnt patches across the landscape,” they said.

“Prescribed burns occur in more favourable conditions than intense summer bushfires which gives animals more opportunities to safely move into areas of unburnt vegetation, and various plant species opportunities to regenerate.”

The DBCA spokesperson said the department had this season already conducted small buns north of Perth and in the Perth Hills and would be continuing burns in the South West in the coming weeks.

“DBCA maintains an active on-ground fire research program with a Statewide focus and collaborates with a range of organisations across Australia and internationally that have scientific expertise relevant to fire science,” they said.

“These partnerships ensure a continual development of understanding in fire science and operational procedures relevant to prescribed burning practices.”

Mr Fowler said the State Government should invest in more rapid suppression technology instead and look at investing in satellite technology, smoke detecting cameras and water bombing drones.

“This technology already exists in Queensland — they have smoke detecting cameras on the hills and within 10 seconds they know exactly where a fire is and what sort it is,” he said.

“They are able to put them out quickly. That’s rapid suppression. It’s not rocket science, we have the technology and we have the ability to do this.

“We just need to drag our Parks and Wildlife Service kicking and screaming into the 21st century. We need our homes protected, and we want our forests looked after.”

A State Government spokesperson said the South West was a globally recognised biodiversity hotspot and told the Times they are committed to maintaining and protecting it for future generations.

“The State Government’s prescribed burning approach is supported by more than 60 years of peer-reviewed research and operational evidence collected by the DBCA,” they said.

“It complements the State Government’s suite of bushfire management policies, including a $30 million commitment as part of the 2024-25 State budget for bushfire mitigation.

“That investment has directly funded the deployment of 20 additional frontline firefighters throughout the South West, Great Southern and Perth Hills, as well as more fire trucks and a firefighting bulldozer to be based in Albany.