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FACT SHEET
Fire Service Amendment (State wide strategic management
of vegetation for the mitigation of bushfires) Bill 2012
The Fire Service Amendment (State wide strategic management of vegetation for
the mitigation of bushfires) Bill 2012 will align the responsibility for the
management of bushfire fuels across the State in recognition that it is a shared
responsibility across all sectors including the public arena. It will bring together
the various stakeholders that manage land across the State to work collectively to
effectively manage vegetation fuels for the mitigation of bushfires.
The amendments form part of the Tasmanian Government's commitment to
implement recommendations from the 2009 Victorian bushfires.
The proposed changes to the Fire Service Act 1979 allows the TFS to better align
the management of bushfire fuels with the relevant stakeholders across the State
and will allow a consolidated and strategic approach to occur. The responsibility
for managing Fire Management Area Committees will move from the State Fire
Commission to the State Fire Management Council. This will provide the
following benefits;
Clearer functions of the Council in relation to preventing and
mitigating bushfires;
The ability of the Council to declare any part of the State a Fire
Management Area;
Reporting from Fire Management Area Committees directly to the
Council in relation to fire management issues;
State Fire Management Council to report to the State Fire
Commission annually on the activities of Fire Management Area
Committees; and
The ability for the State Fire Management Council to review Fire
management Area boundaries to ensure they are most appropriate
based on risk and topography.
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The proposed amendment of the Fire Service Act 1979 will refine representation
on Fire Management Area Committees to that of a more strategic level with
stakeholder involvement from the major land based managers within the Fire
Management Area.
The focus of Fire Management Area Committees will be that of;
Preparing a fire protection plan for the Fire Management Area;
Identify and prioritise bushfire vegetation risks and prioritise
strategic works to mitigate any perceived risks.
The Bill will provide for the incorporation of Special Fire Areas into Fire
Management Areas to provide a consistent approach across the State.
Fire permit officers will be appointed by the Council in recognition that the
stakeholders that sit on the Council are better positioned to assess appropriate
skills, qualifications and experience that would enable a fire permit officer to carry
out their duties competently.
The Bill will add a clear interpretation to the Fire Service Act 1979 of the
meanings of the terms;
Fire Management; and
Fire Protection Plan.
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