If you have an interest in the use and management of public lands throughout Victoria, you will be interested in the work of the VLA. 

Victorian Lands Alliance is a not-for-profit coalition of stakeholder groups who use public land for sustainable recreational and commercial purposes.

The interest in the establishment of a peak public land user group is not new.  A Public Land Utilisation Committee existed for about a decade in the 1970's.  The Public Land Council operated from 1987 until 2005.

A public land alliance which concentrates on a policy framework and the implementation of existing government policy in relation to public land management can give a voice to communities, individuals and groups committed to better public land management.

Become a VLA supporter today:  Following repeated requests from a number of individuals who were not affiliated with any particular group or organisation to become members of the VLA we have made available the opportunity to become a 'Supporter of the VLA'.  Simply download the supporter registration form from the 'Support VLA' page and send it to us as outlined. 

GOVT ADOPTS RECOMMENDATION ON PRESCRIBED BURNING

On August 27th 2010 the Victorian government announced it would implement a program of prescribed burning of five per cent of public land [385,000 hectares] on an annual basis.  The program would start with a target of 200,000 hectares this year and increase over the following four years.

The announcement reflects almost exactly the recommendation put to the government by the VLA over the last two years. 

The announcement also included an extra 170 permanent fire fighting staff for DSE.

The recommendation accepted by the government was supported by ecologists, fire researchers, fire fighters and land managers and is welcomed by the VLA.

DRAFT FIRE OPERATIONS PLANS NOW AVAILABLE

Most DSE and Parks Victoria offices will now have local draft fire operations plans available for inspection.  Please check with your local office or go to the DSE website Fire Operations Plans  The deadline for comments is August 31st.  Have your say!

KEY STEPS IN MINIMISING BUSHFIRE RISK

In the wake of the royal commission report, the VLA has called on the government to make fire management the No.1 priority of the Department of Sustainability and Environment to end the confusion over priorities and competing objectives in land management. 

LINK  to pdf paper: Key Steps in Minimising Bushfire Risk

BUSHFIRES ROYAL COMMISSION REPORT RELEASED SATURDAY JULY 31

The Bushfires Royal Commission has released its final report which can be viewed here

The government will not make a final response to the inquiry's recommendations until several weeks later in August.  LINK to article

LINK to Judgement looms

PASSAGE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET LEGISLATION THIS WEEK WILL SEE BIG GROWTH IN VICTORIAN WIND FARM PROJECTS

Landholders and communities are bracing for a surge in applications for new wind farms following amended legilslation passing the Senate this week.  Ed Gannon from the Weekly Times writes of what may be in store.

AUDITOR GENERAL'S REPORT ON CONTROL OF INVASIVE PLANTS AND ANIMALS IN VICTORIA'S PARKS     MAY 2010

This recent report [see pdf link below] tabled by the Victorian Auditor General in the parliament is testament to the need for a new model of management for our national and state parks.

While the auditor general acknowledges that "good progress has been made in managing some invasive species in some parks" he notes "if resource contraints are not addressed, invasive species will continue to pose a major and likely growing threat to Victorian parks."

Resource constraints are unlikely to be addressed this year with only a 6% rise in budget funding over expenditure last year.  This amounts to only $10m in extra funding for all management activities in Victoria's parks.

Given that four new red gum national parks in northern Victoria, exceeding 100,000 hectares are to be proclaimed in this budget year, the extra $10m in operating expenditure will likely leave Parks Victoria in a worse position to address the concerns of the auditor general.

This goes to the core dilemma of continually increasing the size of the national park estate without adequate operational funding to meet community expectations.

VLA BUSHFIRE SURVEY

To collect your feedback and ideas on land management and fire issues an online survey form has been created.  Look for the Bushfire Survey tab on the left hand side of this webpage.

The Victorian government needs to be aware of what Victorians think and what action they want taken on these issues so encourage your friends, family and neighbours to complete the 10 questions on the survey form.

You can send the following link in an email to your friends

VLA BUSHFIRE SURVEY

It is important the survey is well supported so your voice is heard.

NEW REPORT DETAILS THE RESEARCH TO SUPPORT PRESCRIBED BURNING

The VLA has prepared this comprehensive, highly referenced report that includes 27 case studies showing the beneficial effect previously burnt areas have on controlling bushfires and lessening their impact on the environment.

Anatomy of a bushfire

Click on link below: Review of the effectiveness of fuel reduction burning

GREATER ALPINE NATIONAL PARKS MANAGEMENT PLAN

Have your say and help guide the future of Victoria's National Parks.

Simply log on to the special section of the Parks Victoria website to have your voice heard.  Details and contact link are shown on the 'Our Work' page of this site to assist you.

BUSHFIRE PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY

The recent parliamentary inquiry into the impact of land management practices on bushfires is perhaps a good example of individual organisations involved in use of public land that did not participate in this process - although a minority did.  The recommendations from the inquiry and the subsequent implementation of those recommendations will have a profound effect on the management of public land into the future, but few organisations will have the time or resources to focus on this process.

Victorian Lands Alliance can give your group a voice on an issue!

On August 27th  2010 The government announced that it would undertake a program of prescribed burning of 5 per cent of public land saying  "We accept that we need to substantially increase the level of fuel reduction burning to make our state safer," Mr Brumby said on Friday.

Victoria to increase prescribed burning

On March 31st  2010  For a topic so seemingly controversial up until now, there was surprisingly a lot of agreement in the hearing room during the six days of evidence on fuel reduction burning in the Victorian Bushfires Commission.

Jane Cowan reports on fuel reduction evidence by the expert panel

On March 18th  2010 The Premier issued a media release on the current planned prescribed burning and stated: “We live in one of the world’s most fire-prone areas and fuel reduction is essential to reducing the fire-risk in many parts of our state."

Fire crews on track for record Autumn planned burns [see pdf file below]

On February 23rd 2010  The Bushfires Royal Commission released a Summary of Discussion by its Expert Panel on Fuel Reduction

Summary of Panel Discussion [pdf file below]

On February 22nd 2010 The Bushfires Royal Commission heard unequivocal evidence from its Land and Fire Management expert panel that Victoria's prescribed burning program should be immediately increased "to reduce the risk to environmental values" and protect communities.

The unanimous endorsement of an increase to between 5% and 10% of treatable public land goes further than the major recommendation of the 2008 parliamentary inquiry which called for a tripling of the program.

Commission expert panel begs to differ

On February 17th 2010 After compelling evidence at the Bushfires Royal Commission, ABC's Jane Cowan prepared this analysis of recent events.

LINK to article

On December 7th 2009 Peter Hunt, senior writer for the Weekly Times asked: Are We Ready For The Fire Season?

The Victorian Government and CFA have put enormous effort into community meetings, advertising campaigns and mailing tens of thousands of FireReady Kits to households in these towns.

Yet I suspect fewer than half these households have used the templates provided in these kits to write down their plan, with fewer still rehearsing them.

LINK to article

On October 6th 2009 evidence given at the Bushfires Royal Commission by DSE Officer Shaun Lawlor clearly articulated that the Murrindindi fire intensity was lowered by the effects of previous burning in the area.  Mr Lawlor gave similar evidence about the Mudgegonga fire at commission hearings in Myrtleford.  Experienced fire officers clearly stating that prescribed burning has a beneficial effect on bushfire behaviour and a reduction in the environmental effects from reduced fire intensity.

LINK to article

On September 16th 2009 it was revealed that the Victorian government was diverting 64,000 megalitres of water earmarked for environmental flows in northern Victoria to Melbourne.  Some of this water was to be used on drought stressed red gum forests that the government said must be turned into national parks to help protect them! 

The Premier said on December 30th 2008 whilst announcing the four new national parks that decimated the red gum timber industry in northern Victoria “Climate change and drought mean the River Red Gums are in trouble, with estimates that as many as 75 per cent of trees on some stretches of the Murray are either dead or dying.”

The red gums are either in trouble or they are not.  If they are, as stated by the Premier, give them the environmental water to which they are entitled instead on siphoning it off for Melbourne.

This now means significant threats [Mr Holding's words] to the environmental values of the Thomson, Yarra, Goulburn and Murray Rivers have been unleashed by the government to give Melbourne a few more days water.

No Fuel No Fire community meetings are being held all over Victoria.  See the Campaigns page for the location that is closest to where you live.

If your district is not currently listed contact us to register your interest in holding a meeting in your area.

Black Saturday could happen again

VLA secretary, Max Rheese writing in The Australian notes many of the same conditions as last year still apply.

"Victoria faces another February with many of the same underlying bleak fire tragedy conditions faced on Black Saturday: drought, hotter average temperatures and a further build-up of forest fuels from an unchanged prescribed-burning target."

Black Saturday could happen again

What people have been thinking but no one said until now.....

The Black Saturday inquiry reveals the lethal arrogance of bureaucrats who think they know better than local communities, contends Tony Cutcliffe.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25680664-7583,00.html

A recent article in The Australian  reflects on proceedings at the Royal Commission

When the heat is on, bushfire bureaucrats duck for cover

See Damning Analysis by Jane Cowan on the News Page.  Analysis Part 2 posted on News Page December 24th

On February 7th 2009, 173 Victorians died in the worst bushfire disaster in Australian history.  On Black Saturday, as the day became known, families were torn apart, countless homes and buildings reduced to rubble, 430,000 hectares destroyed in an unstoppable sea of flames.

Veteran journalist, Roger Franklin has written a book titled inferno which is now available in bookshops.

The narrative brings to life individual tales of horror and heroism, recounts the devastation of Kinglake, Marysville and other besieged Victorian towns.  It also highlights the failings that magnified this unprecedented tragedy.  Communication breakdowns, inadequate warning systems and bush left unburnt for years, steadily accumulating more and more fuel.

Inferno is an indepth account of the major fires on Black Saturday and their effect on communities.  Easy to read narrative that is highly recommended.

The most compelling Bushfire Report in Victoria with the possible exception of the Parliamentary Envronment and Natural Resources Committee Inquiry tabled in parliament in June 2008, the Peoples Review is the voice of the people.

Download the report on our Publications Page.

ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE ON FIRE MANAGEMENT

An article by forester, Mark Poynter published at Online Opinion on September 16th

Fuel reduction burning - misunderstood and irrationally maligned

The VLA has lodged a comprehensive submission to the Royal Commission which amongst other things looks at the effects of current public land management on particular communities and Victoria's history of fuel reduction burning.

These are just two facets of the many threads interwoven into the management of the 32% of Victoria that is public land.

Sustainable forestry operations, seasonal cattle grazing, recreation, bee keeping and many other uses of public land need to be considered to bring about a new paradigm of public land management that is more inclusive and produces better environmental outcomes than we have achieved in recent times.

Click on link here to download the submission.