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More than 60 people involved with fire management across northern Australia gathered in north Queensland in early June to discuss common issues and research opportunities.
Three days of the North Australia Fire Manager's (NAFM) forum included talks on prescribed fire, risk identification, recovery, cultural fire, invasive grasses and other hazard fuels, heat management, and research planning for the region.
The forum was hosted by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and Queensland Parks and Wildlife, with support from Natural Hazards Research Australia.
Mike Wassing, the Deputy Commissioner of Queensland Reconstruction Authority, noted the importance of NAFM in identifying risks across the region and for planning out joint reduction strategies and recovery options.
Dr John Clarkson, principal botanist (retired) from Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, provided a detailed overview of the invasive grasses and weed problems across northern Australia – including his “dirty dozen” of offenders. He noted that the invasive species problem was also a big fire problem and NAFM needed to collaborate to find new ways of dealing with them.
Nicola Moore, Node Research Manager at Natural Hazards Research Australia (the Centre), presented an overview of the research relevant to northern Australia that was underway and outlined the process of getting new research funded through the Centre.
Dr Andrew Edwards, Senior Research Fellow – Bushfires at the Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research, Charles Darwin University, presented an overview of the current research projects including on smoke emissions and smoke dispersal around Darwin.
The forum ended with a field trip to Wambiana Station, a working cattle station and long-term research site on landscape, fire and grazing near Charters Towers. Forum attendees were able to see good fire science in action in northern Queensland.
NAFM was an annual forum for around 20 years until it was disrupted by the COVID years. It is led by the fire and land agencies of Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia, initially with the support of the Tropical Savannas Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), then the Bushfire CRC and later the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, with agencies including the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC), the Bureau of Meteorology and Charles Darwin University regular attendees.
The Townsville meeting marks a new rebirth for NAFM with the intention to hold an annual meeting and collaborate around the year on relevant matters.
Download the presentations below.