Anthony Moore 153588 CRS100 Major

Historically, western policies such as fire-exclusion failed to accommodate the indigenous knowledge systems in place across the country prior to European settlement (Jurskis 2005). Westernised opinions of optimum land use for any given area dictated the strategies used in fire management, an example of the ignorance shown towards established knowledge systems and the holders of this knowledge. An unequal power balance such as this not only belittles indigenous knowledge from a western perspective, but contributes to social and cultural unrest within indigenous cultures where the traditionally powerful holders of knowledge, the elders, lose value and respect from younger generations (Trudgen 2000).

Clearly, the way fire is managed within Australia has great impact upon many different life aspects, both human and environmental. It is a primary incentive in the interests of all people to develop sustainable fire management that embraces and incorporates both the dominant and indigenous knowledge systems of this country.

What is at Stake?

Fire has a profound influence upon the ecosystems in which it occurs. Burning frequency, timing or seasonality and intensity are recognised as key parameters determining landscape response to fire, as well as affecting the wider atmospheric environment (Bowman et al. 2007, Williams, P. et al. 2003). Thus, changes to established fire regimes can significantly alter abundance and composition of plants and animals within ecosystems, ultimately causing loss of species and loss of unique biological communities (Bowman et al. 2008, Williams, R. et al. 2003, Yibarbuk 1998). Changes extend beyond terrestrial landscapes – stream flow rates and sediment loads within rivers can be strongly affected by bushfire in adjacent catchment areas, impacting aquatic life (Lane et al. 2006). Further; high intensity fires deliver increased atmospheric particle and CO₂ pollution, contributing to an acceleration of global warming and the associated future impacts (Miller 2005).

Extreme fire events threaten human lives, as well as incurring ecological and economic costs beyond measure. When an ignition source combines with fire-prone weather conditions and excessive fuel accumulation, fire size and intensity can attain a magnitude beyond fire fighting capabilities regardless of available resources (Bushfire CRC 2006).

Extreme bushfire events have caused devastation in Australian cities and towns on at least seven occasions in the last 100 years (Geoscience Australia 2008). Impacts extend through direct loss of human life and property, agricultural and livestock losses, to destruction of native habitats and death of countless native animals.