East Gippsland residents have been reminded of the extreme bushfire risks facing Victoria, as the launch of Our Mismanaged Forests in December drew attention to the growing dangers posed by overgrown and poorly managed state forests.
The book, presented on the steps of state parliament, was compiled by 94-year-old forest advocate John Mulligan and colleagues. Speaking at the launch, Mr Mulligan warned that flammable forest fuels are at “an all-time high,” with recent fires in East Gippsland illustrating the consequences of “decades of neglect”.
Reflecting on changes he has witnessed over his lifetime, Mr Mulligan said that prior to 1940, forests were “well maintained” through regular light burning by settlers, cattlemen and Aboriginal communities. This traditional approach, he said, was gradually abandoned after the establishment of the Victorian Forests Commission in the 1930s, heavily influenced by British forester Lane Poole, who failed to appreciate the unique fire ecology of Australian eucalypt forests.
“What followed was an era of fire suppression,” Mr Mulligan said.
“Fuel loads began building to dangerous levels, giving rise to a new era of extreme fires, some of which have become known as ‘mega-fires’.”
He cited catastrophic events including the 1939 Black Friday fires, the 2003 Canberra fires, the 2006–07 and 2009 Victorian fires, and the Black Summer Bushfires of 2019–20, noting that approximately 10 million hectares of forest have now been burnt, claiming 429 lives and destroying 7000 homes.
In the past decade, 2.15 million hectares have been affected by extreme fire. Mr Mulligan stressed that the only effective prevention is the “careful use of the right fire”, citing research showing that mild burns on a five-year rotation — about 20 per cent of the forest each year — are necessary to maintain healthy eucalypt forests. Currently, Victoria’s fuel reduction program treats less than 1.5 per cent of forests annually.
“Without a significant change in policy, we are headed for more mega-fires,” he said, rejecting the idea that more fire trucks or water-bombing aircraft could prevent such disasters.
He pointed to the devastating fires in Los Angeles and California, which occurred despite abundant firefighting resources, and warned that similar events could threaten Melbourne, particularly the city’s north-
eastern suburbs.
The book launch also acknowledged support from Melina Bath MP and her staff for facilitating the presentation. Mr Mulligan concluded by urging urgent action to address the accumulation of explosive forest fuel before the next major bushfire strikes.
The warning comes as East Gippsland firefighters battle bushfires sparked in the region over the past week, highlighting the ongoing vulnerability of local communities to extreme fire events.
