T HE O FFICE OF B USHFIRE R ISK M ANAGEMENT, L OCAL G OVERNMENT AND B USHFIRE R ISK M ANAGEMENT R EFORM NAMN Forum 12 August 2015

T HE O FFICE OF B USHFIRE R ISK M ANAGEMENT Established in early 2012 as part of the State Government’s response to the findings of the Keelty report “Appreciating the Risk” OBRM was created to regulate prescribed burning as an independent office within the Department of Fire & Emergency Services (DFES) Reports directly to the Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner

OBRM S C HARTER AND C HALLENGE Mission statement : “To enhance the efficient and effective management of bushfire related risk in Western Australia in order to protect people, assets and other things valuable to communities.” Charter : 1. Set and approve state-wide bushfire related risk policy and standards 2. Monitor and asses agencies’ performance against standards 3. Report to the FES Commissioner 4. Communicate and promote best practice in bushfire risk management

B USHFIRE RISK MANAGEMENT There is no silver bullet! Requires a multifaceted approach Leadership from State and Local Government Cooperative and consultative development of policies Review and refinement of policies over time Involves broader community understanding of bushfire risk “Best practice guides needs to be written by end users with experience in fire control and hazard reduction burning - not by public servants or self proclaimed experts.”

S TANDARDISED R ISK M ANAGEMENT OF P RESCRIBED B URNING Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) prescribed burning framework, systems and processes aligned to ISO31000 Department of Fire & Emergency Services (DFES) prescribed burning framework and systems aligned to ISO31000 Local Government prescribed burning framework, systems and processes aligned    Coming Soon

W HAT D OES IT MEAN FOR L OCAL G OVERNMENT ? Bushfires Act 1954 responsibility Planning in Bushfire-Prone Areas Permit to Burn Bushfire Risk Management Planning

P LANNING IN B USHFIRE -P RONE A REAS Local Government input to Bushfire- Prone Area Maps Implementing Planning and Development Policies and Guidelines (SPP3.7)

L OCAL G OVERNMENT P ERMIT TO BURN Improve understanding and management of bushfire risk Supportive processes for LG’s and permit holders Reliable advice to support planning and implementation of planned burns A contemporary Permit to Burn Enhance understanding of roles and responsibilities Greater consistency in permit issuing practices Reduce potential for loss of planned fire events Influence review of DFES publications to reflect best practice and incorporate outputs of the project

P ERMIT TO BURN TRIAL – P HASE 1 Local Government Permit Trial (2013/14) Objectives of the trial were: To trial an enhanced Permit to Burn with several Local Governments (metro and south west); and To collect permit burning data from participating Local Governments for analysis. Local Government Consultation (2014) To seek feedback from all local governments regarding: The current Permit to Burn format; and The systems and processes used to manage risks related to permit burning activities.

P HASE 2 - PROJECT OUTPUTS Project outputs may include some or all of the following: Checklists and tools for use by the Fire Control Officer; An application form, including guiding instructions for the applicant’s information; An example best practice permit; An example best practice Prescribed Fire Plan; A best practice guide for prescribed burning in the region; and Supporting information publications and improvements to DFES publications, including the Fire Control Officer’s Handbook, Training Manual and Winter Burning Guide.

PHASE 2 – HOW TO DO IT 6 LG Permit Review Zones Kimberley Pilbara-Gascoyne Mining and Pastoral Northern Agricultural Southern Agricultural & Forest Metro

B USHFIRE R ISK M ANAGEMENT P LANNING (BRMP) AND B USHFIRE R ISK M ANAGEMENT S YSTEM ISO31000 aligned process Local Government led (DFES supported) ID and prioritise assets at risk from bushfire Planning process that develops and tracks treatment strategies for managing bushfire risk Supported by database (BRMS) that schedules, records, analyses and reports on bushfire risk and treatment across the state Pilot undertaken 2014 (4 LGs)

W HICH 16 LG’ S SO FAR ? LSW - Nannup, Boyup Brook, Augusta-Margaret River, Donnybrook-Ballingup, Bridgetown- Greenbushes SW – Collie GS - Jerramungup, Boddington, Ravensthorpe, West Arthur, Woodanilling MWG - Irwin, Northampton, Carnamah GM – Beverley Metro - Chittering

OBRM R OLE IN BRMP Responsible for developing the BRMP Standard (Guidelines, templates and handbook) Working alongside DFES in the development of BRMS Part of the Pilot Reference Group involved in trialling the pilot guidelines in 4 Local Governments in the South-West of the State

O THER REFORM WORK OBRM IS DOING Quality Assurance – DPaW, DFES, NGOs Best Practice Guides for Prescribed Burning

T HANKYOU Web: Ph: (08)

P ERMIT TRIAL – PHASE 2 The project phase will be to consult with stakeholders to determine: How do we currently perceive and describe risk? What are the key issues with current processes? What are the possible solutions to these issues? How can we work together to address these issues? What are the minimum requirements for a permit? What are the components of a best practice model framework? What elements of the framework should be flexible to allow local government to implement risk management principles tailored to local circumstances? What tools and information need to be included in a best practice guide for prescribed burning in the region?

P ERMIT TRIAL – PHASE 2