Fire Management Plan for Central Eyre Peninsula

A Fire Management Plan has been adopted for the Central Eyre Peninsula region to address risks to life, property and the environment.

The plan covers 23 reserves, including more than 210 000 hectares of Environment Department reserves as well as some Crown Land and some land covered by Heritage Agreements.

Eyre Peninsula Fire management officer Niall Stephen said the plan is essentially a strategic guide to fire management and prevention activities.

“It’s the first Fire Management Plan developed for the Central Eyre Peninsula which contains several reserves and areas with a significant fire history,” Mr Stephen said.

“The plan was developed by firstly conducting a risk assessment for the lands, considering bushfire risk to life, property and the environment."

“While protection of life and property are our chief concerns, strategies have also been developed to protect and enhance the habitat of threatened plants and animals."

“The plan will help guide our prescribed burns to reduce fuels, to minimise the likelihood of a significant portion of a reserve burning in a single event and to assist with the containment of large scale bush fires in the landscape, something the people of the Eyre Peninsula are familiar with.”

Other activities identified by the plan include strategically undertaking fire trail maintenance, biological monitoring and infrastructure maintenance.

The reserves covered under the plan include Barwell, Bascombe Well, Heggaton, Ironstone Hill, Munyaroo and Yeldulknie Conservation Parks, and Hambidge and Hincks Wilderness Protection Areas.

The new plan incorporates public and stakeholder feedback received during a six week consultation period during December and January.