North Walpole residents say prescribed 1018ha burn of Nornalup Inlet shows DBCA methodology needs review

A State Government department is under fire from residents of a south coast town after it carried out a planned prescribed burn on a day with a high fire danger rating during breeding season for native animals. Members of the Nornalup/North Walpole community have expressed disappointment with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions over its three-day prescribed burn of the southern portion of Nornalup Inlet. The “moderate-intensity” burn, which ran from October 30-November 1, covered 1018ha of coastal and forest vegetation in a section known as FRK_074, and included small amounts of mixed karri/marri forest. WA Forest Alliance senior campaigner Jason Fowler said he thought the final day of the burn should have been postponed because of the 25C day and 41km/h winds, increasing the area’s fire danger rating to “high” as listed by the Bureau of Meteorology. “The resulting fire was intense and destructive for native wildlife considering it is the peak of the spring breeding season, with young unable to escape the inferno,” he said. “Clearly the methodology used by DBCA to assess whether a prescribed burn should proceed or not is in urgent need of review.” Prescribed burning has been a hot-button topic in the area, with protests held in March and May and a 2557 signature-strong petition calling for a review of DBCA’s prescribed burn policy. A DBCA spokesperson said “months of planning” went into each prescribed burn but the choice to ignite is made on the day, and conditions on the day were “low-risk and favourable”. They said “peer-reviewed research and decades of operational evidence” supported prescribed burns as the best way to protect the community from bushfires. “From a biodiversity perspective, prescribed burning is undertaken to maintain a range of wildlife habitat types through the creation of low-fuel areas in a mosaic of burnt and unburnt patches across the landscape,” the spokesperson said. “DBCA understands the important natural, cultural, scenic and landscape values of Walpole, and is protecting them through a program of carefully managed fire. “DBCA does not want to see these values destroyed by intense summer bushfires.” Walpole resident Daniel Jennings said many members of the community “weren’t impressed” with the burn because of environmental concerns, particularly the destruction of native animal habitats. “There’s a Native American quote that says ‘walk lightly in the spring as mother earth is pregnant’,” he said. “I find that powerful and relevant to this because the birds are still nesting, everything’s in flower, there’s young animals. “This place is so special and should be treated with the utmost care and compassion. “There’s a certain sense of ignorance in the destruction of wildlife.” Mr Jennings said while he wasn’t opposed to prescribed burning in general, he believed there were “much better” solutions than burning a forest that had no infrastructure near it. DBCA said there was a large unburnt pocket remaining in the western portion of the burn area and some smaller unburnt pockets within the area that provided refuge and habitat for wildlife. DBCA issued a smoke alert for the burn on November 1.