Dudley Peninsula Fire Management Plan open for public consultation
The South Australian Government is seeking public feedback on a new draft 10-year Fire Management Plan for the Dudley Peninsula on Kangaroo Island.
The draft Plan, developed by the Department for Environment and Water (DEW) and the South Australian Country Fire Service (CFS), identifies ways to reduce the bushfire threat across public and selected private lands, while also supporting environmental objectives.
CFS Regional Prevention Officer Niall Stephen said the draft plan ties in with the work of the CFS and Kangaroo Island Council, and will enhance the co-operative approach which is already in place across the island.
“The DEW draft Dudley Peninsula Fire Management Plan will be incorporated into the KI Bushfire Management Area Plan and supports the planning that the CFS undertakes both across the Island and locally across the Dudley Peninsula,” Mr Stephens said.
“As well as identifying priority high risk areas, the draft Plan considers on-ground works and activities such as prescribed burning at strategic locations to reduce the bushfire risk to life, property, the environment and cultural assets and values.”
The Dudley Peninsula area was identified by DEW and the CFS as a priority for fire management planning to:
- Enhance the protection of life, property and environmental values;
- Reduce the potential for a bushfire to impact upon the townships of Penneshaw, Island Beach, Brown Beach and Baudin Beach;
- Provide for the protection of Baudin, Dudley, Simpson, Lashmar and Lesueur Conservation Parks, and to reduce the likelihood of the whole reserve, multiple reserves and adjacent private lands burning in a single bushfire event;
- Minimise the risk of fire threatening the community and significant infrastructure, such as power facilities;
- Provide for the protection of fauna, flora and ecological communities of conservation significance; and
- Maintain or improve the viability of native species, populations, communities and habitats in reserves (some of which are unique to the plan area).
The draft Plan complements existing reserve management plans and further supports sustainable land management and bushfire resilience across the Dudley Peninsula area.
DEW Regional Director on Kangaroo Island Damian Miley encourages the public to review and provide feedback on the draft Plan before it is finalised.
“This draft Plan represents the important land management responsibility that the Department takes very seriously as we look to increase the bushfire resilience of this landscape,” Mr Miley said.
“When completed the Plan will provide guidance on mid-long term strategic and achievable bushfire risk mitigation activities across the Dudley Peninsula.
“This includes the reintroduction of fire regimes that much of the flora and fauna depend on as well as ensuring land uses such as, cropping, livestock grazing and tourism are protected,” Damian said.
The public, individuals and communities, are encouraged to read the draft Plan and provide feedback to the Department by Monday 3 June 2019.
To have your say on the draft Dudley Peninsula Fire Management Plan visit the yourSAy website.
Interactive maps with more detailed information on the draft Dudley Peninsula Fire Management Plan are also available.
The draft Plan has been developed by DEW and the CFS, and incorporates the Baudin, Cape Willoughby, Dudley, Lashmar, Lesueur, Pelican Lagoon, and Simpson Conservation Parks along with selected Crown lands and privately held Heritage Agreements.
