Tumut
Indicator: Fire
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What the results tell us for Tumut
Available data indicate that 1,463 hectares of land was burnt in Tumut Shire during the current reporting period from prescribed burns. No information was available on the effects of fire on fire sensitive vegetation communities that occur in the Shire.
High fire frequency is considered a threat to at least two threatened species within the Shire (NSW Scientific Committee 2008). Inappropriate fire frequencies are considered a threat to three threatened species (one rodent, one bat and one plant) and may put more threatened plant and animal species at risk (DECC, 2008c).
Tumut Shire may have occurrences of four threatened ecological communities listed nationally or in NSW (DECC, 2008a; DECC, 2008b, DEWHA, 2008a) (Note: threatened ecological community lists are generated based on Bioregions). All of these communities are at risk from fire or inappropriate fire regimes (DECC, 2008b; DEWHA, 2008b). No information was available to assess the impact of fire on these communities during the current reporting period.
A bushfire risk management plan was prepared for the Shire during the previous reporting period to guide fire management strategies and measures there.
Occurrence of fires
Rural Fire Service data indicates that about 1,463 hectares of land were reported to have been subject to hazard reduction burns in 2004–08. It is unclear whether these burns are likely to include only those attended to by local Fire Brigades or those undertaken by private landholders.
Seven separate wildfires occurred during the current reporting period, however no information is available on areas burnt by these wildfires. Five of these were designated Class 3 fires, which are major fires that have the potential to reach a size that can’t be controlled by available resources, requiring a multi-agency response.
Impacts of fires on native species and communities
Native animals and plants respond differently to fire. Some can persist under a range of fire regimes. However, in many cases, too frequent fire may harm species by killing them, preventing them from spreading, depleting the soil seed bank, or modifying their habitat. Planning for threatened species recovery in relation to fire may mean implementing variable fire regimes and excluding those that are detrimental. Fire management may involve managing hazard reduction activities such as slashing and mowing, to prevent these activities from impacting on species and their habitats.
The impact of fires on native plant and animal species and ecological communities varies with factors such as fire type, intensity and frequency, season of occurrence, and scale and patchiness of the burn. The effects and rate of recovery of plant communities exposed to the impacts of fire may also be affected by broader ecological pressures such as infestation by weeds, grazing pressure, drought, changed hydrology and invasive species.
No information is available on the effects of wildfires and hazard reduction burns on vegetation communities within the Tumut Shire over the reporting period. The bushfire characteristics of major vegetation types in the shire are outlined in the Tumut Bush Fire Management Plan (TBFMC 2000, Section 2.2.3).
Impacts on fire sensitive species and communities
No information is available on whether fire sensitive species or communities that occur in Tumut Shire were impacted by fires during the current reporting period.
The Tumut Bush Fire Risk Management Plan (TBFMC 2000) identifies the following vegetation types as fire sensitive:
- White Box Woodlands—western parts of Tumut district contain disturbed remnants that are regionally significant. Patches with least disturbance are found in little-used cemeteries, railway embankments, roadsides and travelling stock reserves.
- Snow Gum stands—most snow gum communities occur in Kosciuszko National Park and are considered particularly sensitive to fire. Small areas within the park contain some extremely old trees dated around 500 years old.
- Frost Hollows—inverted treelines of snow grass valleys fringed by snow gum woodlands occur mostly in Kosciuszko National Park and adjacent areas. The grass/treeline interface is considered particularly sensitive.
- Alpine Ash stands—found in both Tumut district State Forests and Kosciuszko National Park.
Snow Gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora) and Mountain Ash/Alpine Ash (Eucalyptus delegatensis) are particularly at risk from inappropriate fire regimes.
All the above-ground parts of Snow Gum trees are usually killed by even low intensity fires, but the trees resprout rapidly after burning from lignotubers. One year after the January 2003 wildfires in Kosciuszko National Park, 95% of snow gums had resprouted from lignotubers, but only 4.25% had developed shoots from burnt trunks and stems (Pickering and Barry 2005). While snow gums can regenerate after three or four close interval wildfires, the trees will die if this type of fire regime is maintained over an extended period of time (Good 2003). The Snow Gum ecological community will survive the fires and maintain its distribution, but its structural and understorey diversity will remain very depleted for many years (Good 2003).
Mountain Ash requires a high intensity fire about once every 50 to 100 years to complete its life cycle but more frequent fire can lead to the species being totally or partially replaced in forest communities by more fire tolerant species such as Manna Gum (E. viminalis) and Mountain Gum (E. dalrympleana). As Mountain Ash regenerates only from seed stored in the soil or shed during fires, the stands will eventually be lost if regenerating trees are burnt before maturity (50 years plus) (Good 2003).
Potential impacts on threatened species and communities
High frequency fire resulting in the disruption of life cycle processes in plants and animals and loss of vegetation structure and composition is listed as a key threatening process on Schedule 3 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. The NSW Rural Fire Service (2003) recommends that there be no prescribed fire in populations of eight threatened species (six plants, one mammal, one reptile) recorded in Tumut Shire.
Of the other endangered or vulnerable species in the shire, high frequency fire is considered to be a threatening process to two mammal species (Spotted-tailed Quoll, Dasyurus maculatus, Squirrel Glider, Petaurus norfolcensis) (NSW Scientific Committee 2008). Other threatened plant and animal species present in the shire may also be at risk if subject to fires at an inappropriate frequency.
There are four priority actions under the "habitat management: fire" recovery strategy in the Tumut Shire Council. These actions apply to three threatened species (one rodent, one bat and one plant), all of which are listed as vulnerable in NSW, while the plant is also listed as vulnerable nationally. A priority action for the Eastern Bentwing-bat (Miniopterus schreibersii oceanensis) is to exclude prescription burns from 100m from cave entrance, ensure smoke/flames of fires do not enter caves/roosts in artificial structures. A priority action for the Broad-toothed Rat (Mastacomys fuscus) is for Reserve Fire Management Strategies to include operational guidelines to protect this species from fire. A high priority action for the Austral Toadflax (Thesium australe) is to determine if and/or where an ecological burn is required.
Tumut Shire may contain four threatened ecological communities listed as endangered or critically endangered within NSW or nationally, or both (see Ecological communities) (DECC, 2008a; DECC, 2008b; DEWHA,2008a) (Note: threatened ecological community lists are generated based on Bioregions). Two are listed under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995, two are listed under the Commonwealth's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Inappropriate fire regimes are considered a threat to all of these threatened ecological communities (DECC 2008b; DEWHA, 2008b). Inappropriate and high intensity fires are a threat to Montane Peatlands and Swamps of the New England Tableland, NSW North Coast, Sydney Basin, South East Corner, South Eastern Highlands and Australian Alps bioregion.
Inappropriate fire regimes are considered a threat to Natural Temperate Grassland of the Southern Tablelands of NSW and the Australian Capital Territory, White Box Yellow Box Blakely's Red Gum woodland and White Box Yellow Box Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodlands and Derived Native Grasslands (DECC 2008b; DEWHA 2008b). No information was available to assess the impact of inappropriate fire regimes on these communities during the current reporting period.
Potential impacts on other species and communities
Remnant vegetation plays an important role in safeguarding biodiversity in terms of providing habitat requirements for a diverse range of fauna and flora once widespread in Australia. Many of the species they support have become increasingly rare across broad areas of their former distribution due to extensive habitat destruction and modification for agriculture and pastoralism. Remnant vegetation, including roadside remnants, is an important refuge for fauna and flora, some of which may be affected by inappropriate fire regimes and/or high frequency fire. The resilience of remnant vegetation and their associated fauna to the effects of fire may also be undermined by cumulative effects of other ecological factors including grazing pressure, invasive species, drought and changed hydrology (salinity and/or drainage).
Important remnants of native vegetation, including White Box Woodlands (TBFMC 2000) can occur in travelling stock reserves, cemeteries and crown reserves. No information was located on the extent to which such communities in the shire may be threatened or have been affected by fire.
Fire management
Laws and policies
The Rural Fires Act 1997 is the main state government law relating to fire management in NSW, although the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 also contain clauses relating to fire and fire management. For more information on these laws, see government laws and policies.
The NSW Rural Fire Service has developed several policy documents and guidelines relating to fire management, including the Bush Fire Environmental Assessment Code (RFS 2003) and Planning for Bushfire Protection (RFS and Planning NSW 2001). The former lists threatened species, threatened populations and endangered ecological communities to be addressed when undertaking hazard reduction burns, and specifies conditions relating to the use of fire and mechanical forms of hazard reduction for each species, population or community. The planning document outlines planning considerations to be taken into account for developments in bushfire prone areas.
Tumut Bushfire Management Committee
The Tumut Bush Fire Management Committee developed a Bushfire Risk Management Plan during the previous reporting period (TBFMC 2000). This document maps bushfire risk across the shire and outlines strategies that land managers will undertake to manage identified bushfire risks. The plan addresses protection of natural and cultural values and protection of life and property, and also provides information relating to threatened species, populations, communities and critical habitat. It refers to approved Recovery Plans and the specific fire management requirements for each species or community.
Shire Council and other land management agencies are required to develop their own programs for implementing the strategies outlined in this bushfire risk management plan. Under the plan, Tumut Shire Council has sole responsibility to communicate the plan's objectives and strategies to private land managers and to ensure the strategy is implemented in the shire.
Tumut Shire Council
Shire Council is committed to developing and maintaining a highly effective local Emergency Management Committee. The Rural Fire Service is an active member of this committee. No information is available on specific fire management measures within the Tumut Shire Council during the current reporting period.
Other agencies
The Gundagai Rural Lands Protection Board, whose administrative area includes the majority of Tumut Shire, has a Travelling Stock Reserve management plan which incorporates fire management and details all works for fire management to be undertaken on the reserves. Actions within the Gundagai Travelling Stock Reserve Management Plan relating to fire include (Gundagai RLPB 2005):
- strategic burning for weed management on reserves
- monitor seasonal fuel loads
- ensure management burns are approved
- reintroduce fire regimes, in consultation with the Rural Fire Service, into areas susceptible to woody weeds to reduce the threat of invasion
- routine grazing to minimise bushfire hazard
- reduce threat of fire to adjoining lands.
References
DECC – see Department of Environment and Climate Change
Department of Environment and Climate Change (2008a) list of Endangered Populations, Endangered Ecological Communities, Critical Habitat and Key Threatening Processes that may potentially occur within the BOOROWA Lga. shp, provided by ACT Commissioner for the Sustainability and the Environment from Threatened Species Data Officer, Spatial Data Programs, Department of Environment and Climate Change.
Department of Environment and Climate Change (2008b), Threatened Species – species, populations and ecological communities in NSW, search on endangered ecological community, viewed 13 October 2008, http://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/home_species.aspx
Department of Environment and Climate Change (2008c) Threatened Species – species, populations and ecological communities in NSW; Recovery and threat abatement, Tumut Shire Council viewed 13 October 2008, http://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/pas_lga_recovery_
details.aspx?lga=Tumut%20Council&type=habitat+management:+fire
Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (Commonwealth) (2008a) Environmental Reporting Tool, Database Report, viewed October 2008, http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/erin/ert/ert_dispatch.pl?loc_type=lga&search=Search&report=ert
Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (Commonwealth) (2008b), Biodiversity, search on endangered ecological community, viewed October 2008, http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/index.html
DEWHA – see Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
Good, R (2003) Vegetation Responses to the January Fires in the Mountains. Notes from a presentation by Roger Good to the Snowy and Southwest Slopes Advisory Committees.
NSW Scientific Committee (2008) Ecological consequences of high frequency fires - key threatening process declaration, final determination, accessed 9 October 2008, http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspecies/EcologicalConsequencesFiresKTPListing.htm
NSW Rural Fire Service (2003) Bush Fire Environmental Assessment Code for Asset Protection and Strategic Fire Advantage Zones, NSW Rural Fire Service.
NSW Rural Fire Service and Planning NSW (2001) Planning for Bushfire Protection: a guide for Councils, planners, fire authorities, developers and home owners, Planning NSW, viewed 26 August 2005,
RFS—see NSW Rural Fire Service
TBFMC—see Tumut Bush Fire Management Committee
Tumut Bush Fire Management Committee (2000) Bush Fire Risk Management Plan, Tumut Shire Council, Tumut.
