The Burning Issue
Sue Brooks August 18th, 2009
The burning issue. Can I reassure readers, that my comments about fires and the impact of ‘burning off’ quoted in the Fraser Coast Chronicle yesterday, were made in relation to natural areas not urban areas. Many Whitsunday Islands and National Parks ie World Heritage Fraser Island, are burned where there is no risk to human life and property. I do acknowledge that some burning is necessary to provide fire breaks and reduce the threat of fire around urban development. I have seen photographs however that clearly demonstrate that the level of undergrowth and litter is greater in areas that have been regularly burned than in areas left alone. Aboriginal people were very clever and used fire as a tool to improve their lives. There is much debate about the impact that this burning has had on our natural environment over time. I’m just not convinced that regularly burning huge tracts of natural habitat is ‘good for it’.
- What do you think?
- Comments(4)
Sue,
You’ve stated “Aboriginal people were very clever and used fire as a tool to improve their lives”!
History would suggest the ‘improvement’ was minimal and as they were to the best of my
knowledge hunter/gatherers. Their use of fire had nothing to do with improving the land or
environment.
To burn off or not to burn off, is not the real issue. What is, is where we allow people to build.
Many of the houses in Victoria should never have been built where they were. Also in many
case the building materials were not appropriate.
We will never stop bush or scrub fires, what we can do by good planning is reduce the loss of life.
Lighting a fire to stop a fire, come on people, just stop and think about it. It makes as much sense
as driving faster to stop the person behind you tailgating.
Sadman
Hi Sue,
I was talking to a ranger today when on Fraser Island…. I was informed this latest lot of burning was actually on Woody Island not Fraser Island.
Kind regards
Jeanette
The burn off’s on Fraser Island would not be necessary if the brumbies and other livestock had been left there. As it was they that ate out a lot of the under growth. Now with the burn off’s many dingo puppies that had recently been born have now died in their dens. Much of the wildlife that the dingoes needed to survive on have been killed also due to these fires.
Once again this further proves that QPWS/DERM have no idea about managing a Heritaged Listed island such as Fraser and yet no one has stopped them from further distruction.
When will we have a decent people in Govt that know what they are doing. Why is this Govt not held accountable for their dreadful mistakes ?
Sue,
It’s started even here, “When will we have a decent people in govt”. “Why is this Govt not held accountable”.
Why will people not accept they are the government? We do live in a democracy, don’t we?
Every mistake made, is made by the people. Until the people wake up to their responsibilities nothing will
change.
Just think, people fought to have Fraser Island heritage listed!!
Sadman