1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,360 Speaker 1: Rural landholders are being urged to update their property bush 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: fire management plans and survival plans with the official declaration 3 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:10,399 Speaker 1: of the fires danger period. Now we know that that 4 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: fire danger period began on the second of July. It 5 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 1: runs until the thirtieth of September in the vernon Ara 6 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:19,479 Speaker 1: if you're a fire management zone as well as the 7 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 1: Savannah Fire Management Zone. It doesn't include the Arnham Fire 8 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: Management Zone as I understand it. But joining me on 9 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: the line somebody who is a much more of an 10 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: expert in this space than what I am is Bushfires 11 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: NTI Executive Director Colleen Bramna. 12 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Colleen. 13 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 3: Good morning Katie. 14 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:40,840 Speaker 2: Good to have you on the show. 15 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: As always, Colleen, what does the declaration mean? 16 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 3: Look, the declaration means so anyone who lights the fire 17 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 3: requires a permit in that area. Usually in a fire 18 00:00:54,640 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 3: protection zone, that always applies a person requires a permit 19 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 3: to light a fire. But what we've done is extended 20 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 3: that area to pick up, broadened it much further because 21 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 3: obviously the grass and fuel is starting to dry out 22 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 3: more so you do require a permit to light a 23 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 3: fire and it is an offense to leave a fire 24 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 3: until it's extinguished. So if you light it, make sure 25 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 3: you have a permit, and also do not leave that 26 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 3: file until it's gone out. There are substantial penalties for 27 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 3: people who reach that. 28 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, right, what kind of penalties are there if you 29 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: do breach that? 30 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:36,400 Speaker 3: So it's an offense. It's up to five hundred penalty 31 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:39,920 Speaker 3: units or imprisonment up to five years, So substantial penalties 32 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 3: for that. And then that's to light it without a permit, 33 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 3: and then if you leave it unattended, it's the same 34 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 3: five hundred penalty units or imprisonment for five years. I 35 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 3: think the penalty units are about one hundred and thirty dollars, 36 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 3: but they might have recently gone up, so I'm not 37 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 3: one hundred percent sure on that at this moment in time. 38 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 3: But if you don't do it, of course it's my problem. 39 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's exactly right. It seems like common sense. Don't 40 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 1: do it and you won't have to worry about it, Colleen, 41 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 1: I understand that declaration also means, of course that landholders 42 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 1: need to get prepared. What do they need to make 43 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 1: sure that they're doing at this point. 44 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 3: So they first of all, make sure they've got good 45 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 3: firebreaks around the perimeter of their home, but also ensure 46 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:26,639 Speaker 3: that they have cleared up around their assets, so their houses, 47 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 3: their sheds, any vehicles that might be wherever they park them, 48 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:35,079 Speaker 3: don't have grass going all the way up to the assets. 49 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:39,799 Speaker 3: We have had a fire just what is today Thursday 50 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 3: this week where a wild fire went up straight up 51 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 3: towards that person's house and they had dry fuel and 52 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 3: stuff up to that. So that makes it very difficult 53 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 3: for our volunteers and staff to try and save people's 54 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 3: homes or assets if they don't, if they don't prepare themselves, 55 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 3: it's most easier properties are prepared. 56 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 2: How did things go with that property, Well. 57 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 3: They did save that property, so that was great, but 58 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 3: it certainly made me cranky thinking that, you know, you're 59 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 3: putting people under that sort of pressure. My volunteers as 60 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 3: well as my staff under pressure to do that. They 61 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 3: work very hard to ensure that property was saved, so 62 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 3: you know, I'm absolutely urging landholders to take them seriously. 63 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 3: We get a fire season every year up up the 64 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 3: Top End, and this fire declaration period's also extended into 65 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 3: the Catherine area, so we're still continuing to do mitigation 66 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 3: burns when it's safe to do so, so you will 67 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 3: still see people out there doing burns under permits. But 68 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 3: watch the wind, obviously, watch the weather, and prepare your. 69 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 1: Place, Colleen, someone's just called in. Will called in wanting 70 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 1: to know if people on rural blocks need a permit 71 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: for cooking fires, if they're doing a camp oven or something. 72 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 3: No, if you clear around it, make sure and don't 73 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 3: be you know, I know people who are silly do 74 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 3: whapping great big piles, and so they can sit there 75 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 3: with a potato wrapped in alphol. You know, we're not 76 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 3: stupid a cooking fire. You know, we all like to 77 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:19,479 Speaker 3: have a barbecue out outside, and so it's a great 78 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 3: thing to do while we've got such fantastic weather. So 79 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 3: it's not a it's not a total, it's not a fireban. 80 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 3: It's a fire danger period. So in other words, fires 81 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 3: will if they do escape, they will run fast. So 82 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:34,479 Speaker 3: people just be aware of it. 83 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 1: And Colleen, are we expecting a severe season this time round? 84 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 3: I am hoping not, Katie. At the moment, we're still 85 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 3: It depends on how much mitigation we're able to do 86 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:52,600 Speaker 3: safely and get underway. So we have been ourselves at 87 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:58,159 Speaker 3: bush fires NT and I know other landholders in around 88 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 3: the Dalen area in the Er and the Bushfires MP 89 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:06,280 Speaker 3: area have been working towards it. We're inspecting firebreaks at 90 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 3: this moment in time. I have staff out undertaking inspections. 91 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 3: So if we can get all the mitigation and then 92 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 3: you could expect a normal fire season. But it really 93 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 3: depends on how much work we can get done over 94 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:20,839 Speaker 3: the next couple of months. 95 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, Colleen. 96 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: One of the things that that people always raise with 97 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 1: me on the show is, you know, they say to me, Katie, 98 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: I've prepared my block, but my neighbor hasn't, or I've 99 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: got a block that's you know that's that's federal land 100 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 1: next door or whatever where they're concerned that it's not 101 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: being maintained to the same standard and they're worried that, 102 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: you know, there's going to be a fire and they're 103 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: going to be in a spot of bother because of 104 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 1: their neighbors not looking after their block. 105 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 3: Ah, I agree that it's I absolutely understand that. I 106 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 3: have you believe it or not. I have a similar 107 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 3: problem with a neighbor myself, so I understand it, and 108 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:06,159 Speaker 3: we certainly what we do in relation to compliance is 109 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 3: if we found your place has not met you know, 110 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 3: their firebreak requirements last year or the year before. We don't. 111 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 3: We don't leave you to you know, six weeks down 112 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:20,239 Speaker 3: the track is part of it. We target those blocks first, 113 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:23,280 Speaker 3: so we provide a letter saying you filed last year 114 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 3: it and so we'll proceed and get much harder on them. 115 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 3: But some people, you know, maybe the fines aren't hard enough, 116 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 3: or maybe whatever, or they don't I don't know. Pad's 117 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 3: mind boggling. Why would you have a rural block and 118 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 3: not maintain it. 119 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, biggest belief, doesn't it? 120 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 1: Like you just think, if you want to live rural, 121 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 1: you've got to make sure that you maintain your block. 122 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 3: Yes, yes, And you know we were people who live 123 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:50,840 Speaker 3: rural and even people who don't live rural but live 124 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:53,039 Speaker 3: on the edge of the bush land. You know, they 125 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 3: have a right to be able to live safely have 126 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 3: an expectation that people maintain their blocks. 127 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:01,159 Speaker 1: I know sometimes you can have, you know, people that 128 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: are more elderly, maybe that aren't in a situation where 129 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:04,919 Speaker 1: they can maintain it in the same. 130 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:05,599 Speaker 2: Way that they used to. 131 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 1: If you know, like you said, I don't know if 132 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 1: there's help for people like that. You know, I'm assuming 133 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 1: that sometimes you'll have your neighbors even step up and 134 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: give your hand if they're in a situation where we've 135 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 1: got somebody that's olderly, elderly or disabled that's not able to, 136 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: you know, to maintain the block in the same way 137 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: that they previously had. 138 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 3: Katie. We do have a program that we administer for 139 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 3: for people who are willing to and are really keen 140 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 3: but can no longer do it, so that that program 141 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 3: is run through bush size empty. Yeah right, I'm in 142 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:42,120 Speaker 3: the top end. So but you know, obviously it's not 143 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 3: somebody if you're hail and hearty and just couldn't be 144 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 3: bothered that you're not sick for it. But there are 145 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 3: you know, we do know of residents who have lived 146 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 3: for a long time on the block and you know, 147 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:56,240 Speaker 3: the game has just sort of overtaken them, or they 148 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 3: just can't get their firebreaks done. You know, the machines 149 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 3: are broken down. So we do have a number of 150 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 3: landholders that we assist. We assist with reducing the fuel load. 151 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 3: And just the other day one of my staff had 152 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:13,240 Speaker 3: approached me about a couple of a couple of residents 153 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 3: who needed a bit of an extra hand for so 154 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 3: if we're not fighting fires wild fires or doing other stuff, 155 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 3: we're certainly happy to work with brigades and landholders to 156 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 3: try and make their place safer. So you don't have 157 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 3: to wait till you get unnoticed from bushfires MT. You 158 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:32,719 Speaker 3: can be more proactive. 159 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:35,440 Speaker 1: Oh, good on you guys. Well, Colleen, lovely to speak 160 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 1: with you this morning. I always appreciate your time. And yeah, 161 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:40,960 Speaker 1: thank you very much for having a chat with us today. 162 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, good on you, Thanks Colleen.