A partnership project was established in 2013 between the Country Fire Authority and Trust for Nature to address the bushfire risk on private land managed for conservation.  Two questions became apparent:

a)      What happens when the act of managing the risk is unachievable by the landowner?

b)      What are the benefits of the local community accepting partial responsibility with Trust for Nature for risk management actions?

The Trust owns native grassland properties throughout the Riverine Plains of Northern Victoria which cover over 2,300 hectares.  There has been no active biomass management in the grasslands for over 10 years.  To maintain the conservation values of grasslands fire is the preferred method for biomass management at ~5 year intervals.  However the Trust has neither the capability nor capacity to conduct planned burning. 

The CFA/Trust partnership engaged with local CFA volunteer brigade members to determine their interest in assisting in fire risk reduction on the Trust’s properties.  These discussions opened communication between the community and the Trust where it was discovered that both wanted the same outcome – reduced biomass management. 

The benefits gained in the first year of the ongoing project have been:

·         An understanding that planned burning to achieve fire risk reduction is the ideal ecological improvement method for native grasslands

·         Reduced fire risk in 3 landscapes totalling 350 hectares

·         Positive contribution towards CFA’s program to enhance organisational unity through the active support of metropolitan members assisting rural brigades

The acknowledgement of the fire risk by the Trust and the local brigades increased awareness of the opportunity to work collaboratively to reduce fire risk and achieve conservation outcomes has led to an ongoing relationship between stakeholders.