What a joke! The constant hazard burning is polluting the city almost daily
causing serious problems for asthma sufferers (my partner's son is one) as
well as destroying the little understorey that remains.
The list mentions Temperley Ridge (Nicholls) which is a tiny ridge (patch
of woodland) in Nicholls, isolated by development, and I really can not see
what the benefit would be of burning this area right next to houses. In
fact it has no understorey but grass.
Stirling Ridge is another example - the Speckled Warbler lives here,
possibly only 1 pair left th elast time I looked, if the ridge is burnt and
this species leaves or is killed they will not return as there is no close
by population.
A typical over reaction again in my opinion.
Marnix Zwankhuizen
Senior Analyst/Programmer
Project GENESIS
Australian Electoral Commission
Ph: 02 6271 4465
Fax: 02 6271 4644
Email:
"Whitworth,
Benjamin - BRS"
<Benjamin.Whitwor To
>
au
11/04/2007 02:31 cc
PM "Tony Lawson"
<>,
"Whitworth, Benjamin - BRS"
<>
Subject
[canberrabirds] Pinnacle- And
Burning CNP [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]
Visited the Pinnacle on Sat and Sunday.
Interesting birds included female satin flycatcher, probably at least 2
pairs of scarlet robins, a few golden whistlers. Many grey fantails. 12
dusky woodswallows. A young honeyeater I couldn’t identify, perhaps
fuscous. No sitellas or speckled warblers, although they have been resident
for years in the past. A small purple pea (Swainsona sericea- listed as
threatened in NSW) was seen in flower.
The Pinnacle is 80-90% improved pasture, with a substantial proportion of
that planted to trees by Pinnacle Env Group, in the past.
Only perhaps 10% of the NP is ‘natural ecosystem’. The best spot is a patch
on the Western edge we call the Stringybark forest. Perhaps 2 years ago
2/3rds of this patch was burnt. On perhaps last Monday or Tuesday the
remainder 1/3 of this patch was burnt. The Stringybark forest is the patch
where the speckled warblers, varied sitellas and small purple pea live (and
was flowering). The base of not only mid-story shrubs, but mature trees
were targeted for burning around.
Just East of the Stringybark forest is a reasonable patch of Yellow box-Red
gum trees (endangered ecosystem) mostly aged perhaps 200 years old. SE of
the Stringybark F was a gully planted with gum trees by Pinnacle Env Group
about 20 years ago, for erosion control.
The majority of YB-RG mature trees and mid-age replanted trees were burnt
around the base and now look very sick or are dieing.
I believe this burning ‘regime’ is unacceptable.
Burning the whole native ecosystem of stringbark forest in only a couple of
years has removed the majority of lower and mid story shrubs, and burning
bases of trees has virtually changed this ecosystem to a woodland. It has
removed any potential for ‘refugia’, and the speckled warblers have now
almost certainly moved. It has opened it up for colonisation by weeds.
The Pinnacle, particularly in the whole area burnt is covered by 2cm tall
grass, recovering slowly after drought, and therefore ‘fuel reduction’ is
not an excuse.
I will be taking this further with the conservation council, with a more
considered response, but this email is a heads-up for those Park care
groups whose sites are targeted for burning over Autumn (see below). Don’t
assume your threatened ecosystems or species will be protected.
Benj Whitworth
ps- and no, we didnt get a pamflet in the mail.
--------------------------------------------------------
FYI
Minister for Territories and Municipal Services today announced details of
the ACT Government’s autumn controlled burning program, which will help
minimise the fire hazard in and around Canberra.
“Weather permitting, a total of 19 burns will be carried out as part of the
annual program to reduce the amount of fuel in bushland areas, and to
complement the extensive physical removal of fire fuel that has been
conducted across the ACT,” Mr Hargreaves said.
“The program is aimed primarily at protecting public and private assets
adjacent to bushland areas. It will also help reduce the intensity of fires
should they occur—making them easier to control—and give rural fire
fighting personnel the chance to maintain their firefighting skills.”
Mr Hargreaves said the autumn controlled burns would be conducted according
to the provisions of the Strategic Bushfire Fuel Management Plan, and would
include the following areas:
· Potters Hill - | · The Pinnacles Hawker
Namadgi National Park | · Googong Foreshores -
between
· Mount Ainslie-Majura | Queanbeyan River and Googong
Foreshores
- between Mt Ainslie Summit Rd | · Black Mountain - behind
Botanical
and Power line Trail | Gardens adjacent to Black Mt
Summit Rd
· Mount Ainslie-Majura | · Kowen Forest - along
Jacks Break
- between management trail and | · Kowen Forest - South
Kowen
houses along Duffy St Ainslie | Escarpment
· Uriarra and Pierces | · Bruce-Mugglestone Pl
Creek - debris removal burns | · Giralang Pines -
Warrambool close
· Bruce - O'Connor | · Garran - parkland
between Garran and
Ridge - above Dryandra St to | Hughes
south of YHA | · Nicholls - Temperley
Ridge 5/150
| · Ngunnawal-Burrumarra Av
to Mirrabei
| Dr
· Aranda Bushland - adjacent | · Kambah - Bissenberger
Cres
to the urban interface | · Wanniassa Hills
| · Stirling Ridge - With
the National
| Capital Authority
“The burns will be conducted by experienced fire managers from Territories
and Municipal Services, the Rural Fire Service, RFS Volunteers and some
cross border assistance from local brigades in NSW. All these burns will
be conducted by highly trained fire fighters.
“Safety is very paramount in all burns. The burns are also undertaken with
consideration for the ACT’s ecological and heritage values, and in weather
conditions that will minimise the impact of smoke on residential areas and
major institutions. However, some temporary smoke cover is inevitable if we
are to adequately manage the risk of future bushfires.
“People with asthma and other respiratory conditions are advised to stay
indoors if they are affected by smoke, and consult their doctor should they
have any difficulties.
“Before burns are undertaken, residents in adjacent areas will be advised
through a letterbox drop. Residents will also receive advice through media
releases to local media outlets, which will contain details on the ACT
Handy Map grid reference location for each hazard reduction. The Emergency
Services Agency, the Australian Federal Police, Air Traffic Control will
also be advised,” Mr Hargreaves said.
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