1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: Now we know that fire Ready Week. It's back in 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:05,400 Speaker 1: the first week of March and the Department of Environment, 3 00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:09,880 Speaker 1: Parks and Water Security is asking Territorians to touch base 4 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: to get help in preparing for the bushfire season. Now 5 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: I'm joined on the line by the Department's manager of 6 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 1: gamber fire Mitigation, Ronnie Opton. Good morning to you, Ronnie. 7 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. 8 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 1: Lovely to have you on the show. Ronnie, what happens 9 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: during fire Ready Week? 10 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 2: So fire Ready Week is where we invite the community 11 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:36,480 Speaker 2: to come on down to the Bushfire's headquarters and get 12 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 2: some information. Ideally book a personalized property management plan with 13 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 2: a fire officer, so a fire officer can help you 14 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 2: identify the risks that might be on your rural property 15 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 2: and also to put in a plan for survival in 16 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 2: the event of a bushfire. 17 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 1: And Ronnie, I know that quite often, you know, particularly 18 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 1: out in the rural area, when people have those larger blocks, 19 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 1: sometimes it is a bit more difficult to get some 20 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: of that gamber grass and some of the other sort 21 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:09,679 Speaker 1: of grass under control. Does this week specifically target those 22 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: in the rural area or is it absolutely everybody? 23 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, it's absolutely everybody. But what we do know 24 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 2: is that properties that have a lot of gamber grass 25 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 2: on them are really, really at a much higher risk 26 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,960 Speaker 2: of being impacted by bushfire and the dry season. So 27 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:26,319 Speaker 2: this is why we're holding the week in March. It's 28 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 2: the perfect time to be getting on top of the 29 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 2: gamber grass and other grassy weeds as well. And getting 30 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 2: on top of those grasses now will save you a 31 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 2: lot of fuel load in the dry season. Yeah, there 32 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,959 Speaker 2: will be resources available at fire Ready Week. We've got 33 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 2: officers who can help you put together a gamber plan 34 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:45,600 Speaker 2: for how you're going to attack it and also put 35 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 2: you onto some free resources to help you get started 36 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 2: on your block as well. 37 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: And Ronnie, are we preparing for a bad bushfire season 38 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 1: this year or do we know yet what kind of 39 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: conditions we're expecting. 40 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 2: Look, I'd say that we are nearly always going into 41 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 2: bad bush fire seasons when we have unmanaged gambergrass out there. 42 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 2: Managing it now will help it just to mulch down 43 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 2: so there's less fuel load. But look, we are expecting 44 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:13,920 Speaker 2: a fair bit more rain before the end of the 45 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 2: wet sorry, before the end of the dry season, so 46 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 2: it's possibly going to be a slightly later one. But 47 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 2: I think fairly typical and what are. 48 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: Some of the most important things that territorians do need 49 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: to know as we know as we gear up to 50 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: head into the bush fire season. I know it's still 51 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: a little while away, but like you said earlier, it's 52 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: good to make sure that you're organized and ready now 53 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: rather than waiting until the dry arrives. 54 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:39,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. We don't want to wait till the dry 55 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 2: season and the risk is here, so this is the 56 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 2: time to be thinking about what actions you're going to 57 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 2: take to have a fire break in place, to reduce 58 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 2: your fuel loads. And there's also a lot you can 59 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 2: do around your house itself, such like clearing out the gutters, 60 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 2: making sure you have a reliable water source and look, 61 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 2: one of the things that's really important and particularly we're 62 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:02,360 Speaker 2: pushing for this fire ready week is having a survival plan. 63 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 2: So if you are on a rural property and you 64 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 2: are affected by a wildfire that might be coming in 65 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 2: your area, is having a plan in place, knowing what 66 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 2: to do, and that's what a bush by a survival 67 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 2: plan is all about. It's knowing what you're going to 68 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 2: do with your animals. Where do your kids know what 69 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 2: to do if a fire is coming and they're home alone. 70 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 2: So it's having a plan in place so that if 71 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,679 Speaker 2: the worst happens, you've already got a plan. You don't 72 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 2: have to think on the spot. 73 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: And Ronnie, territories generally pretty good at being prepared or 74 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: do we sometimes lack in that space? Oh? 75 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 2: Look, you know, I think most of the people who 76 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 2: live on their rural properties are really aware of the 77 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 2: dangers and take good steps towards preparing. We get issues 78 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 2: where there might be absent land or unmanaged vacant land 79 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 2: that's no one's been living on there for a long time. 80 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 2: So those sort of properties we can sort of deal 81 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 2: with through other processes. But there are so many willing 82 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 2: people out there, and you know, people are just really 83 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 2: open to getting this sort of assistance, And that's what 84 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 2: this is all about. 85 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, and Ronnie, how big? Look how tough is it 86 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 1: sort of managing the gamber, particularly after we've had quite 87 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:19,039 Speaker 1: a good wet season like we've seen over the last 88 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 1: couple of you know, a couple of months. 89 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:26,479 Speaker 2: Look, there's pros and cons with that. So having a 90 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 2: good wet season it means that we get really good 91 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 2: seed germination. So the seed bank of gamber grass is 92 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 2: all coming out of the soil essentially, so it's prime 93 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 2: ready to target. Gamber is best to be targeted while 94 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,679 Speaker 2: it's actively growing, and which is right now. And also 95 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 2: this extended wet that we might be seeing might actually, 96 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 2: if we're lucky, might just push back the seeding a 97 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 2: little bit longer, which will just give us a slightly 98 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 2: greater window of opportunity. So hopefully the control can keep 99 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:01,559 Speaker 2: on being effective right up till about of April May 100 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 2: and get as much as we can done before before 101 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 2: it starts to seed. 102 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:09,719 Speaker 1: Now, Ronnie, if there's anyone out there listening this morning 103 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 1: and they're keen to find out a little bit more 104 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:14,480 Speaker 1: about fire Ready week, or if they want to make 105 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 1: one of those appointments that you'd spoken about, where's the 106 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:18,159 Speaker 1: best way for them to do that. 107 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 2: If you've got Facebook, you can jump onto the Bushfire's 108 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:24,239 Speaker 2: Facebook page. That'll give you the information, and it'll also 109 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 2: give you a link. You can just click on it 110 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:28,840 Speaker 2: and you can select a time that'll suit you a 111 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,799 Speaker 2: date and time, so you can sort of see what's 112 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:34,839 Speaker 2: available by clicking on the Facebook link. Otherwise, if you 113 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 2: don't have Facebook, give us a call. Eight nine double 114 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:42,280 Speaker 2: two eight, double four. That's Bushfires and the event's going 115 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:45,279 Speaker 2: to be held out at the new Bushfires headquarters at 116 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 2: Akasha Hills on the corner of Stuart Highwaytown End Road. 117 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: Good stuff for Ronnie. Lovely to speak to you this morning. 118 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 1: I really appreciate your time. 119 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 2: Oh, you're welcome. I hope to see a lot of 120 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 2: the people out there. Yeah. 121 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 1: Absolutely, we'll talk to you again soon, no doubt. 122 00:05:58,360 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 2: Thank you.