1
00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,840
Speaker 1: But we know the Bureau of Meteorology issued its long

2
00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:06,480
Speaker 1: range forecast for well the winter period. It shows day

3
00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:08,960
Speaker 1: and night temperatures are likely to be above average across

4
00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:13,039
Speaker 1: the country. But when you look specifically at the northern territory, well,

5
00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:16,880
Speaker 1: we're expecting warmer than usual June to August maximum and

6
00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:22,360
Speaker 1: minimum temperatures. They're likely above average rainfall across the southern

7
00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:24,720
Speaker 1: two thirds of the territory. Now joining us on the

8
00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:27,160
Speaker 1: line to talk a little bit more about that and

9
00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:29,240
Speaker 1: what it means when it comes to the fire risk

10
00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:34,800
Speaker 1: is Bushfire's NT Director of Operations and Chief Fire Control Officer,

11
00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:37,160
Speaker 1: Tony Fuller. Good morning, Tony.

12
00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:38,879
Speaker 2: Yeah, Good morning Katie.

13
00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:41,440
Speaker 1: Now what are the key takeaways for the top end

14
00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:43,880
Speaker 1: in the Bureau's long range outlook.

15
00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:49,680
Speaker 2: Look, we're expecting probably usual for danger in the top end.

16
00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:55,160
Speaker 2: We're already setting up and getting our response ready for

17
00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:58,720
Speaker 2: this year. In the top end. To notice, on the weekend,

18
00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:01,000
Speaker 2: it was quite a significant mane of burning going on

19
00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:04,280
Speaker 2: plan burns with brigades in the burn and our a

20
00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:08,319
Speaker 2: fewer area, and there was a pretty large airal prescribe

21
00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:11,240
Speaker 2: burning that went on in Blackmore River over the weekend,

22
00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:15,160
Speaker 2: which threw up quite a bit of smoke, and there'll

23
00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:18,280
Speaker 2: be more aeral prescribe burning going on today at gunpoint

24
00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:22,679
Speaker 2: and how it springs area our Shoal Bay area. Sorry,

25
00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:26,240
Speaker 2: so you'll notice a bit more work going on today.

26
00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:29,479
Speaker 2: But yeah, at the moment, we're really trying to ramp

27
00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:33,520
Speaker 2: up our mitigation burns with the brigades. The rain in

28
00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:36,000
Speaker 2: the last couple of weeks hasn't helped us at all.

29
00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:40,120
Speaker 2: You know. We like to get people to prepared and

30
00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:42,880
Speaker 2: get them to get their fire breaks in and we

31
00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:46,360
Speaker 2: will be doing firebreaking inspections, but we understand at the

32
00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:48,480
Speaker 2: moment that some people won't be able to do that

33
00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:52,480
Speaker 2: because of the amount of rain that we've had and

34
00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:54,840
Speaker 2: that some of their boundaries will not be able to

35
00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:57,960
Speaker 2: be accessed at this time. We understand that, but we're

36
00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,880
Speaker 2: still going to go ahead with the inspections. If you

37
00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,280
Speaker 2: do get notices and you haven't been able to do it,

38
00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:05,240
Speaker 2: you know, just contact us and we'll work with you

39
00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:08,840
Speaker 2: through it. It's more of an education process that we're

40
00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:11,160
Speaker 2: working through to remind people that you know, the breaks

41
00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:13,000
Speaker 2: are important and we need to get them in.

42
00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,079
Speaker 1: So is it quite a large fuel load after the

43
00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:16,760
Speaker 1: wet season.

44
00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:21,959
Speaker 2: Oh there is every year. We'll always have fuel. That's

45
00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:26,600
Speaker 2: the nature of bush, so, yeah, that's what that's what happens,

46
00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:30,799
Speaker 2: and fire is obviously one way of managing that fuel

47
00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:33,480
Speaker 2: load at the end of each wet it's an annual

48
00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,880
Speaker 2: event with us in the top end in Central Australia.

49
00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,359
Speaker 2: We've done a bit of mitigation in Alice Springs and

50
00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:44,520
Speaker 2: the Barkley area, but unfortunately with that rain we're likely

51
00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,640
Speaker 2: to see more regrowth and that's going to put us

52
00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:51,200
Speaker 2: back a little bit over the winter months. We shouldn't

53
00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:54,160
Speaker 2: be too bad, but later in the year we're expecting

54
00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:56,280
Speaker 2: that we're going to have a fair few problems down there.

55
00:02:56,320 --> 00:03:00,000
Speaker 2: And again we're just re emphasizing with everyone that can

56
00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,839
Speaker 2: keep an eye on your firebreaks and get them manage them.

57
00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:06,440
Speaker 2: And that's right across the territory.

58
00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:08,639
Speaker 1: So, Tony, I know a lot of like a lot

59
00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:11,120
Speaker 1: of rural residents listen to the show. I know a

60
00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:13,360
Speaker 1: lot of them would already sort of have a fair

61
00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:16,560
Speaker 1: idea what they need to do. But what do landholders

62
00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,280
Speaker 1: need to be doing right now in terms of managing

63
00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:19,919
Speaker 1: their blocks.

64
00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,000
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, getting those fire breaks in and if you've

65
00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:26,960
Speaker 2: got large blocks, and you need to do that burning

66
00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:29,440
Speaker 2: is talk to your brigades, get the permits to get

67
00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:34,440
Speaker 2: your burns in and outside the fire protection zones. And

68
00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:36,720
Speaker 2: a lot of the past us already aware of that,

69
00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:39,600
Speaker 2: and a lot of them have been doing their burns

70
00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:43,880
Speaker 2: already this year. So it's just the main thing is

71
00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:45,800
Speaker 2: to make sure that anything you don't want to burned

72
00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:49,400
Speaker 2: got a break around it. If it's a lot of

73
00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:52,240
Speaker 2: cars on a block in a rural block, put a

74
00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:54,800
Speaker 2: break around it, because at least if we get called there,

75
00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:58,920
Speaker 2: we can actually try and assist in stopping the fire

76
00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:01,880
Speaker 2: going through the sky into those assets.

77
00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:05,320
Speaker 1: Do you find like most people pretty compliant and try

78
00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:06,760
Speaker 1: their best to be organized.

79
00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,000
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, it's in their interest. So a lot of

80
00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,320
Speaker 2: people are, but there's the odd block here and there

81
00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:16,600
Speaker 2: that aren't you and we try and work with those

82
00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:22,320
Speaker 2: landholders to make them compliant. But yeah, like everything, there's

83
00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:26,800
Speaker 2: ninety percent of people are compliant and do realize the

84
00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:30,560
Speaker 2: risk and try and do the right thing. But then

85
00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:33,360
Speaker 2: there's that element that aren't and some of those blocks,

86
00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,800
Speaker 2: to be honest with you, maybe deceased of states that

87
00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:39,760
Speaker 2: we've got to try and find who actually owns the

88
00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:42,560
Speaker 2: block and work with whoever's meant to be managing those

89
00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:44,719
Speaker 2: blocks to make them compliant.

90
00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:48,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, we always get messages about you know, about blocks, Tony,

91
00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:50,960
Speaker 1: Like a lot of people will message and go, Wilfee,

92
00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:52,760
Speaker 1: you know, I look after my block. I make sure

93
00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:54,320
Speaker 1: that I've done all the right thing. But they're a

94
00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:56,960
Speaker 1: neighbor or the vacant block next to me, or you know,

95
00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:58,560
Speaker 1: whoever's responsible for it.

96
00:04:59,320 --> 00:04:59,680
Speaker 2: Don't.

97
00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:02,600
Speaker 1: Like, what's your advice to anybody listening this morning? That's

98
00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,000
Speaker 1: sort of in that situation. Do they need to get

99
00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:07,480
Speaker 1: in contact with Bushfires into like what do they do?

100
00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:10,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, we're more than happy to take those sort

101
00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:16,320
Speaker 2: of complaints and they's just email our Bushfires and email address.

102
00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:21,640
Speaker 2: That's right. But if they email that and just say

103
00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:24,760
Speaker 2: this block is a neighbor, it's not compliant. Can you

104
00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:26,520
Speaker 2: have a look at the compliance team to go and

105
00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:29,599
Speaker 2: have a look at it. And we'll be out this

106
00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:32,559
Speaker 2: week and we've already been out a couple of times

107
00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:34,960
Speaker 2: this year and do it. And there's a lot of

108
00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:37,080
Speaker 2: areas that we've got to cover and a lot of blocks.

109
00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:42,000
Speaker 2: You know, a block might look really good from the

110
00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:44,560
Speaker 2: main road, but out the back, we know it's not compliant.

111
00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:47,560
Speaker 2: So if people have got that sort of information, by

112
00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:50,440
Speaker 2: all means, pass it on and we'll get people out

113
00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:52,640
Speaker 2: there to have a look at it. But we cannot

114
00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:56,840
Speaker 2: discuss with anyone what action we're taking. So a lot

115
00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:00,240
Speaker 2: of these blocks, we probably already know about them and

116
00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:04,560
Speaker 2: are doing something in the background, but we can't. Obviously

117
00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:08,159
Speaker 2: through privacy devolves what we're doing in relation to those blocks.

118
00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:11,200
Speaker 1: Now Tony in terms of people making sure they've got

119
00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:15,280
Speaker 1: bush fire survival plans as well, that's obviously something that

120
00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:18,480
Speaker 1: they need to be prepared for as we get into

121
00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:20,279
Speaker 1: the dry season and as we see some of these

122
00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:21,440
Speaker 1: fires around the place.

123
00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:24,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, you just got to weigh up what you're

124
00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:28,040
Speaker 2: going to do. Talk to your family. Are you going

125
00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,719
Speaker 2: to stay? Are you are you going to leave? The

126
00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:34,320
Speaker 2: last the worst thing is leaving in the middle of

127
00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:36,800
Speaker 2: a fire. That's where a lot of the deaths have

128
00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:39,960
Speaker 2: occurred in the state, where people get stuck on roads

129
00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:45,280
Speaker 2: and smoke fire hazards. But just understand what you are

130
00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:48,880
Speaker 2: going to do if there is a fire approaching your block.

131
00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:51,520
Speaker 2: And one of the main things for us, if we're

132
00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:54,080
Speaker 2: going to attend is making sure that all the gates

133
00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:58,000
Speaker 2: are open and animals are safe so that we can

134
00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:00,000
Speaker 2: get in there and do our work that we need

135
00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:03,160
Speaker 2: to do to protect the assets. One of the things

136
00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:07,800
Speaker 2: we don't fight structure fires, so we'll do whatever we

137
00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:11,800
Speaker 2: can to stop a fire from reaching the structure. Actually fighting,

138
00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:14,320
Speaker 2: we're not trained or we're equipped to do that. And

139
00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:18,000
Speaker 2: a lot of our area is outside the response areas

140
00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:23,360
Speaker 2: of the anti fire and rescue, So you know, you

141
00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:25,920
Speaker 2: may not get the assistance that you think you're going

142
00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:28,360
Speaker 2: to get if you're living in Dance Central.

143
00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:31,280
Speaker 1: Ye, hey, what about I mean, we've had quite a

144
00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:35,080
Speaker 1: few people last week sort of raise concerns about gamber grass.

145
00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:37,480
Speaker 1: Some land on is struggling to get on top of it.

146
00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:41,440
Speaker 1: What assistance can bush fires into provide or what's your

147
00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:43,960
Speaker 1: advice when it comes to you know, when it comes

148
00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:45,360
Speaker 1: to that gamber grass.

149
00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:49,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, it is a problem, and it's really hard

150
00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:54,560
Speaker 2: to manage. And obviously it's a big problem right through

151
00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:57,880
Speaker 2: the rural area and right through all the parks. There

152
00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:02,520
Speaker 2: are programs around about getting spray to spray it. My

153
00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:06,240
Speaker 2: understanding that's probably late to spray it this year. It's

154
00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:09,280
Speaker 2: already starting to seed, so spraying is not going to

155
00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:12,840
Speaker 2: be effective. But if it does get burnt this season,

156
00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:16,440
Speaker 2: then be ready to spray it later when it regerminates

157
00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:18,320
Speaker 2: and get on top of it that way.

158
00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:22,080
Speaker 1: Yeah, right, And so what are the responsibilities of landown

159
00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:24,080
Speaker 1: is when it comes to managing that gamber.

160
00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:29,200
Speaker 2: Look, there is a fifteen break. I'm probably not the

161
00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:31,520
Speaker 2: right person talking to about it. I don't look after

162
00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:37,520
Speaker 2: the weeds. Weeds can gain. Yeah, but we certainly encourage

163
00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:40,360
Speaker 2: people to make sure that their blocks are clear of

164
00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,520
Speaker 2: gamber if they can. But obviously there's some larger blocks

165
00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:47,800
Speaker 2: that can't. And from memories of fifteen met buffer that's

166
00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:52,640
Speaker 2: got to be is enforced to keep it away from

167
00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:53,960
Speaker 2: the boundaries.

168
00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:57,120
Speaker 1: I know they've been people sort of raising concerns as

169
00:08:57,160 --> 00:08:59,440
Speaker 1: well about the amount of poison. I think it is

170
00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:01,959
Speaker 1: that you can get that land owners can access from

171
00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:04,280
Speaker 1: the government when it comes to that gamber. Do you

172
00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:06,559
Speaker 1: know how much they can access or what the.

173
00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:09,079
Speaker 2: Situation is not I don't manage it.

174
00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:11,480
Speaker 1: Well, that's all right. We think we can make sure

175
00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:13,480
Speaker 1: we can. I think we're going to try and catch

176
00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:15,600
Speaker 1: up with the department about it anyway tomorrow.

177
00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:17,800
Speaker 2: Yeah, range lands look after that.

178
00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:20,120
Speaker 1: Yeah, No, we can do that, well, what about in

179
00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:23,720
Speaker 1: terms of fines and penalties for people not doing their

180
00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:27,320
Speaker 1: bit to make sure that they are ensuring that their

181
00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:31,160
Speaker 1: blocks are organized and that they've got those breaks in place.

182
00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:33,160
Speaker 1: I know you touched on this little while ago. It

183
00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:36,200
Speaker 1: is more an educative process, but you know what, if

184
00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:38,040
Speaker 1: there are people that are just not doing the.

185
00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:42,400
Speaker 2: Right thing, that we do issue finds every year, but

186
00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:45,600
Speaker 2: it is the last resort. We prefer to work with

187
00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:49,000
Speaker 2: the landholders to make them compliant as best we can,

188
00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:54,000
Speaker 2: and we'll go back to landholders quite regularly and try

189
00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:55,920
Speaker 2: and make sure that they are doing the right thing

190
00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:59,520
Speaker 2: by themselves and their neighbors. But there are fines and

191
00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:03,640
Speaker 2: I don't get involved in the actual amounts involved in that,

192
00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:08,720
Speaker 2: but there are other avenues available to us that we

193
00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:14,160
Speaker 2: can actually potentially clear properties at times, but we try

194
00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:17,960
Speaker 2: to avoid that because it's such an annual event, the regrowth,

195
00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:20,200
Speaker 2: that we don't want to be going back and as

196
00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:21,920
Speaker 2: someone said to me, that we don't want to be

197
00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:24,920
Speaker 2: the gardeners of the Northern Territory. That's my role. We're

198
00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:27,040
Speaker 2: trying to manage the risk with the day and holders.

199
00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:29,960
Speaker 1: Well, you're busy enough as it is, you know, so well.

200
00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:32,600
Speaker 1: I don't think you want to be doing that well.

201
00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:37,640
Speaker 1: Tony Fuller, Bushfire's Director of Operations and chief fire Control Officer,

202
00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:40,400
Speaker 1: always appreciate your time. Thank you very much for having

203
00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:41,480
Speaker 1: a chat with us this morning.

204
00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:44,520
Speaker 2: No worries it ocading you have a good day you too.

205
00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:45,280
Speaker 1: Thank you