The South Para Collaborative Fire Management Plan (The Plan) is a first for fire management planning in South Australia: a plan developed collaboratively by multiple state government agencies.  The Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR), the South Australian Country Fire Service (CFS), ForestrySA (FSA), and SA Water (SAW), have integrated their bushfire management risk mitigation works across the South Para district of the Mount Lofty Ranges into a single plan.  The Plan covers over 20 000 hectares of public land as well as privately owned Heritage Agreements (conservation covenants) across the largest contiguous expanse of remnant native vegetation in the Mount Lofty Ranges.  The area is affected by bushfire events annually.

The planning area is home to a wide range of complex and significant built and natural assets, which may be affected by bushfire.  The Mount Lofty Ranges is a strong-hold for many significant species and as little as 13% of the remnant native vegetation remains.  A significant proportion of Adelaide's fresh water supply and infrastructure, and ForestrySA plantations and assets are located within the planning area.  Increased peri-urban development has amplified the complexity of asset management and bushfire response.

The Plan identifies bushfire risk through a methodology that complies with the National Emergency Risk Assessment Guidelines and seeks to mitigate bushfire risks on public land in accordance with DEWNR's Risk Assessment Procedure (DEWNR 2013).  This cooperative and collaborative approach to fire management aims to improve resourcing and resource efficiency, enhance specialist and local knowledge across land tenures, and increase the effectiveness of mitigating actions which are compatible and complementary.  This approach is currently being considered for other areas of South Australia.  The goal is to reach a true tenure-blind planning model that allows effective bushfire management across the landscape.