Challenges for prescribed fire management in Australia’s fire-prone rangelands – the example of the Northern Territory
Jeremy Russell-Smith A B D , Andrew C. Edwards A B , Kamaljit K. Sangha A B , Cameron P. Yates A B and Mark R. Gardener C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia.
B Bushfires & Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre, 340 Albert Road, East Melbourne, Vic. 3002, Australia.
C Bushfires NT, Northern Territory Government, PO Box 37346, Winnellie, NT 0821, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: jeremy.russell-smith@cdu.edu.au
International Journal of Wildland Fire 29(5) 339-353 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF18127
Submitted: 6 August 2018 Accepted: 17 December 2018 Published: 27 February 2019
Abstract
Northern Australia comprises by far the most fire-prone-half of a fiery continent, where fire frequencies range from annual in the tropical savannas to periodic very-extensive fire events following above-rainfall conditions in the central Australian rangelands. As illustration of the challenges facing effective fire management in Australia’s 5.7 × 106 km2 rangelands, we examine the status of contemporary prescribed burning activities in the Northern Territory, a 1.4 × 106 km2, very sparsely settled (0.18 persons km−2) jurisdiction characterised by vast flammable landscapes, few barriers to fire-spread, predominantly anthropogenic ignitions, and limited institutional resources and capacity. Unsurprisingly, prescribed-fire management is shown to be restricted to specific locales. For more effective, landscape-scale fire management, potential solutions include engagement with dispersed remote communities and incorporation of Indigenous Ranger Groups into the fire-management network, and building on the success of savanna-burning greenhouse gas emission projects as an example for incentivising landscape fire and emergency management services generally. Recently, significant steps have been taken towards implementing formal regional fire-management planning processes involving inclusive community-stakeholder engagement, and the setting of clearly defined time-constrained objectives and targets.
Additional keywords: central Australia, emergency management, fire regime, Indigenous rangers, remote communities, risk management, savannas.
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