Strategic Fire Management Program
The Department of Environment and Science, through the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS), manages more than 13 million hectares of protected area and forest estate across Queensland. QPWS is responsible for fire management on the protected area and forest estate that it manages.
QPWS fire management objectives are to:
- protect life, and critical infrastructure and assets, from the adverse impacts of fire
- maintain and restore the natural and cultural values on the protected area and forest estate
- protect the social and economic values of the protected area and forest estate and its neighbours.
QPWS has 2 State-wide targets for its fire management program (based on financial year):
- more than 5% of the QPWS managed estate has fuel loads reduced by planned burning, to reduce fire risk to life and property and protect biodiversity
- more than 90% of the scheduled one-quarter of the total area of Protection Zones is treated across the state per year to protect life and property.
The Strategic Fire Management Program (SFMP) provides 1 of the main funding sources for Rangers to deliver priority planned burn programs (including aerial incendiary programs) and the non-burn treatments of Protection Zones. The SFMP is 1 of QPWS’s critical programs for the on ground delivery of fire management as it works towards the fire management objectives and delivery of fire management targets.
The successful implementation of the priority planned burn program and the maintenance of Protection Zones are critical for reducing the risks of adverse impacts from bushfires when they occur.
The SFMP funding has averaged around $1.2 million per annum over the past 5 years.
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