CENTRAL QUEENSLAND BETTER PREPARED FOR BUSHFIRE SEASON

Parts of central and western Queensland are now better prepared for the coming bushfire season after a series of planned burns in the region.

Natural Resources Minister Craig Wallace said the department’s fire management team had conducted more than 45 planned burns across the region over the past six months.

Mr Wallace said the team had burnt several areas of unallocated state land and reserves, including areas at Gladstone, Tannum Sands, Theodore, Mackay and the Whitsundays.

“Every year the department conducts planned burns to reduce the amount of fuel in high risk bushfire areas,” Mr Wallace said. “Each site is inspected and risk assessed by the fire team before burns are carried out.”

Officers are now wrapping up this year’s management program, with one of the final burns to be conducted at Dee River near Mount Morgan this week.

“The program is about cleaning up bushland to a manageable level and creating asset protection zones for the community,” Mr Wallace said.

NRW senior land officer Ross Lanyon said the department also employed contractors to build and upgrade around 140km of fire control lines across the region.

“Fire control lines reduce the chances of a fire spreading to neighbouring bushland,” Mr Lanyon said.

“It also gives fire crews a place to work from when they’re fighting a fire.”

Mr Lanyon says the fire team would continue to work closely with the rural fire service, rural fire brigades and local councils to help better prepare the region against the threat of bushfires.

Media inquiries: Caroline Kaurila, Craig Wallace’s office, on (07) 3896 3694.