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Purpose of Report
The purpose of this report is to advise of operations during the past 12 months under RCC’s Planned Burn
Program within land under Council management, and proposed actions to be undertaken by the Conservation
Fire Management Team (CFMT) during the course of 2018.
Be advised that the planning contained within this will be subject to ongoing input from all management authority
staff, and other persons and organisations identified as stakeholders under RCC’s “Fire Management Framework”.
Operations of the CFMT during the year were affected by weather conditions, a number of staff changes during
2017-18, and the ongoing acquisition and incorporation of significant areas of bushland within the Redland City
Open Space Network and consequently within the management control of the P&CFMT.
This period has also seen the appointment of a new Conservation Fire Management Officer to that position, with a
reorganisation of ‘Full Time’ supervisory staff for the CFMT’s field teams. Contracted staff have been utilised to
maintain both field operational services and for the provision of management planning in support of the recently
appointed CFMO.
Despite this, work has also progressed in the establishment of a database of fire management activities. This
assists the recording of fire history, vegetation management records, and information relating to ecological
condition, track and mobility networks within all areas under Council’s management responsibility.
This represents an improvement in the systematic monitoring of the progress of Council’s fire management
programme as a whole, and an improvement and organisation of the decision making process for undertaking fuel
reduction burning within the bushland areas of Redland City.
Prescribed Burns: Despite the challenging conditions, both physically and organisationally, the 2017 planned
burn program was implemented across the city, with Conservation Areas on the Mainland and Southern Moreton
Bay Islands (SMBI) subject to prescribed burns as detailed on Table 1 below. No prescribed burning was
undertaken on North Stradbroke Island (NSI).
The total number and area treated by prescribed burns was limited by the unavailability of ‘burn crews’ requested
of service providers during the period required as noted in the previous section. This situation compromised the
ability of RCC crews to safely undertake the full schedule of proposed burns requested under the 2017 QFES
Permit as requested. Consequently, these burn areas have been incorporated within the planning program for
2018 appearing in this document (refer Table 3).
Wildfires: The extent and impact of wildfires was up from previous years with Council attending to 10 wildfire
events all located on the mainland. These wildfire events were all attended by QFES as the first response, council
were asked to provide support and action all fire suppression activities and requests of QFES. Details of the
location and extent of these wildfires are provided in Table 2 below.
Prioritising Burns: the proposed burns have been identified as either Priority “A” (Red Highlight) or “B” (Green
highlight) within Table 3. The two classifications reflect the level of urgency defined for management actions to
maintain the vegetation within the ‘management block’ identified in each case. Priority “A” areas have been
assessed in relation to both the level of wildfire hazard presented to adjoining assets of both ‘built’ and ‘natural’
origin. It is intended that Priority “A” areas are to be undertaken prior to the end of the potential burning period this
year (i.e. winter through to late summer), while Priority “B” areas will be proceed if weather and resources permit.
Implementation: These burns will be undertaken in cooperation with the Queensland Fire and Emergency
Services- Urban & Rural (QFES), other adjoining Local Government Authorities, and Natural Resources, Mines-
State Land Management Team (NRM), Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (QYAC) and
South-east Queensland Water (SEQW).
However if weather conditions become unsuitable to undertake Strategic/ Asset Protection/ Ecological burns, or
there are resource limitations, then these will be rolled over to the following planned burn season.
During the planned burn season the opportunity may arise to undertake additional planned burns. These will be
assessed and implemented depending on circumstances.
Conclusion
Implementation of the proposed 2018 Planned Burn Program will achieve the following results;
It implements the Conservation Fire Management Framework & Operational Guidelines adopted by
Council. Doing this enables Council to demonstrate compliance with both its legislative and community
protection obligations;
It provides ‘best demonstrated practice’ for the management of natural area reserves and the
maintenance of the variety of ecological, recreational and amenity values present within these areas;
It will demonstrates Council’s ongoing management of its conservation estate to maximise the habitat
potential of conservation areas; &
It will provide a basis for building on current excellent inter-agency relationships with the QFES, QPWS,
DNRM, SEQW, QYAC and adjoining Local Government Authorities.
Please forward your feedback and suggestions to the Conservation Fire Management Officer, Redland City
Council.
Table 1
Conservation Fire Management assisting QFES - Wildfires 2017
Mainland
Size
Location Area Possible Division (Ha)
Ignition
583 Mt Cotton Road West Private Property – Lot 2 RP30641 Property Owner 6 3
11/9/17
Judy Holt Reserve WMZ_205 – Lot 140 SP123388 Arson – 14/9/17 8 0.5
Squirrel Glider Reserve WMZ_327 – Lot 128 SL12279 Arson – 18/9/17 8 0.4
Judy Holt Reserve WMZ_208 – Lot 139 SP188041 Arson – 5/11/17 8 0.2
Clarke Street Bushland Refuge Scribbly Gum WMZ_309 – Lot 1 Arson – 2 0.2
SP104046 12/12/17
ACMA Land - Birkdale Air Navigation Facility – 380 Old Arson – 30/1/18 9 30
Cleveland Road East, Birkdale
Nil
Table 2
Conservation Fire Management- Planned Burns Completed 2017
Mainland
Location Purpose Date
Area / Burn number Division Size (Ha) Burnt
Kidd Street (Bayview) Conservation WMZ_27 / BA1.17 Ecol. + Asset 6 5 30/8/2017
Area Protection
WMZ_27
Ford Road Conservation Area WMZ_71 / BA3.17 Ecol. + Asset 6 1.2 26/7/2017
WMZ_71 Protection
Ford Road Conservation Area WMZ_73 / BA4.17 Ecol. + Asset 6 8 26/7/2017
WMZ_73 Protection
D&C Burnett Conservation Area WMZ_600 / BA5.17 Ecol. + Asset 6 2.4 18/5/2017
WMZ_600 Protection
Sandy Creek Conservation Area WMZ_278 / BA9.17 Ecol. + Asset 6 7.5 27/7/2017
WMZ_278 Protection
Swamp Box Conservation Area WMZ_340 / BA10.17 Ecol. + Asset 7 4 7/6/2017
WMZ_340 Protection
Eastern Escarpment Conservation WMZ_59 / BA12.17 Ecol. + Asset 6 10.3 8/6/2017
Area WMZ_59 Protection
Greater Glider Conservation WMZ_131 / BA13.17 Ecol. + Asset 7 2.5 2/8/2017
Reserve WMZ_131 Protection
Quarry Road Bushland Refuge WMZ_599 / BA15.17 Ecol. + Asset 10 1 3/8/2017
WMZ_599 Protection
Wallaby Ck. Bushland Refuge WMZ_393 & WMZ_397 Ecol. + Asset 6 8 17/5/2017
WMZ_393 & WMZ_397 BA17.17 Protection
Macarthur St Reserves (Hilliard’s Ck WMZ_228 / BA18.17 Ecol. + Asset 8 3.4 6/6/2017
Platypus Corridor) WMZ_228 Protection
Southern Moreton Bay Islands
Turtle Swamp Wetlands WMZ_477 / BA20.17 Ecol. + Asset 5 6 9/8/2017
Russell Is. Central Protection 10/8/2017
WMZ_477
Burrows St., Russell Is. South EZ_463 / BA21.17 Ecol. + Asset 5 1 9/8/2017
EZ_463 Protection
Jackson Road Park, Russell Island WMZ_457 / BA22.17 Ecol. + Asset 5 3.5 11/8/2017
North Protection
WMZ_457
North Stradbroke Island
Nil - - - -
Table 3
Conservation Fire Management- Planned Burn Program 2018
Mainland
Priority Burn Size
Burn Site Number Address Purpose Division (Ha)
BA1.18
BA2.18
BA3.18
BA4.18
BA5.18
BA6.18
BA7.18
BA8.18
BA10.18
BA11.18
BA12.18
.
BA13.18
BA14.18
BA15.18
BA16.18
BA17.18
BA18.18
BA19.18
BA20.18
BA21.18
BA22.18
BA23.18
BA24.18
BA25.18
BA26.18
BA27.18
BA28.18
BA29.18
BA30.18
BA31.18
BA32.18
BA33.18
BA34.18