A free public symposium examining the consequences of current public land management and its link to bushfire risk will be held at the Bairnsdale RSL on Sunday, March 29.
Motivated by the recent release of bushfire expert John Mulligan’s book Our Mismanaged Forests and growing public concern about how Victoria’s public lands are being managed, the event aims to inform and engage residents on land management issues through a range of expert perspectives.
The symposium will begin at 10am for a 10.15am start and conclude at 1pm at the Bairnsdale RSL, 2 Forge Creek Road. Light refreshments will be served during the program, with lunch available afterwards.
Mr Mulligan, a 94-year-old East Gippsland resident and long-time observer of Australian bushfire history, will speak on “Why I wrote the book”, sharing his views on forest management, the growth of fuel loads and the implications for communities across Victoria.
The event will open with a welcome from John Andrews before a series of presentations from speakers representing community, scientific and industry perspectives.
Shadow Minister Melina Bath will discuss strategies “Beyond our mismanaged forests”, while Ian Cane will address forest food security and the future of beekeeping. ABC journalist Tim Lee will speak about what he describes as “the time bomb threatening our Mountain Ash forests”.
Former senior Country Fire Authority officer Simon Armytage, who spent 33 years in senior CFA roles, will discuss roadside vegetation management and the importance of incorporating local CFA knowledge into land management decisions.
Mountain Cattlemen’s Association of Victoria president Cass McCormack will also present a talk titled “We don’t have a fire problem, we have a fuel problem”.
Gunaikurnai Elder Russell Mullett will present on traditional perspectives on land management in a talk titled “The Fiery Curse of Conservation”.
Member for Gippsland East Tim Bull will deliver a presentation and chair a panel discussion and question time session featuring fire scientist David Packham, forest and business consultant John Cameron, Grampians Asset Protection’s Peter Flinn, along with several of the day’s speakers.
Organisers say the symposium is intended to encourage open discussion around bushfire preparedness, forest fuel management and the future of Victoria’s public lands, particularly for regional communities such as those in East Gippsland.
The event is free and open to the public.
