When the smoke finally clears from the angst of the new millenniums latest worry focus, it will finally be recognized that a huge part of the reason for out of control fires in public land in the early summer of 19-20 is due to how that land in managed .
The problem was obvious when Canberra was burnt, but nothing effective has been done to make our management of bushfires and forests better since.
I know because I not only worked in the bush and farms with fires, government and studied risk and our approach , but I know HOW and why a more effective system of bush fire containment works.
State government incompetence is well known
I am not alone in insisting that State Governments have largely no idea of how to manage fire in forest , let alone manage forests themselves ( eg they have a largely no touch policy ) Since many of us quit working for "Greenlabor government idealism' years ago , competent operators and public servants has been silenced and the system corrupted.
Bucketing in solutions from on high
The media and wannabes have no idea that the States have been following policies of public land management that greatly increase the risk of them and their neighbours burning . :
Better systems of containment, fuel reduction and public forest management have been largely abandoned.
The ascendancy of agencies with "high responsibility" has been escalated ; thereby corrupting the old system of departments based on grounds experience . Yes the talk is always about experience but the commitment of government now is to experience of those qualified in the new myth of mastery in management ; The focus of politics in people management experience is one of the most unsound .
A single agency to coordinate is a clear example of this stupidity. Just another bureaucracy.
It won't suit to discuss it in detail now ( 3rd January 2020) because the fire damage and risk is still serious and the battle lines have been hard drawn .
Some of the things that need to be reviewed after the fires
- Whether the States have effective containment policies that work , and why not
- Why aren't our government not training more people for on ground management.
- Whether we have learnt the lessons of the parks fires which burnt into Canberra over 10 years ago
- Why ABC would get itself into a situation where its own programs ( Q and A) insist on " more helicopters "
- Whether media are helping by not showing the less acceptable machinery required to provide sensible and safe fire lines ( eg bulldozers in bush)
- why up until today no one has encouraged the Prime Minister to direct monies to ensure States fund fire management staff who focus in effective containment in particular.
- Whethet an elephant in the room is the increasing numbers of people ( including friends of Russel Crowe) who insist in leaving fuel close to their houses and assets . Previous ( pre millenium ) 50 and 30 meters cleared zones were considered ESSENTIAL around buildings by the CFA . Anything less is still indefensible -even allowing for position and aspect . .
- Whether Australains can afford to protect the assets of people who chose to take very high risks
- Whether popular and political opinion is one of the most dangerous reasosn fro reducing competencies
If you want to keep a calm and objective view, listen to those who study and show ourselves approved.https://20943.mc.tritondigital.com/OMNY_NIGHTSWITHSTEVEPRICE_P/media-session/ceafffe4-2a0a-44af-8292-b301ef96939d/d/clips/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/a6a367c7-1cf2-4270-ba85-a6d600339454/28ec5162-006b-4cb7-baf2-ab36005a4419/audio/direct/t1577942955/Retired_fire_brigade_Captain_Ralph_Barraclough.mp3?t=1577942955&ttag=omny_clip_id%3A28ec5162-006b-4cb7-baf2-ab36005a4419%2Comny_clip_title%3ARetired%20fire%20brigade%20Captain%20Ralph%20Barraclough%2Comny_program_name%3ANights%20with%20John%20Stanley%2Comny_program_slug%3Anights%2Comny_network_name%3A2GB%2Comny_organization_id%3A88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396%2Comny_playback_source%3Apodcast&fbclid=IwAR1c_x1mDy1qFtzWMWdXQgnQQjYRyxCpJHU5rnHUeQnslJ4nTvi__9CRmcQ