The Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR) conducts prescribed burns to strategically reduce fire fuel in areas of the South Australia’s parks and reserves.  Reducing fine fuel is important, as it can help reduce spread from bushfires, make them easier to control.

DEWNR has developed procedures for conducting environmental assessment and management for its fire management program.  These procedures ensure DEWNR delivers its fire management program, while conserving biodiversity in the areas it manages.  Key aspects of these procedures are: Strategic planning to identify priority areas for managing bushfire risk and biodiversity conservation; identifying, assessing and managing risk to matters of National and State environmental significance in areas planned for prescribed burning; assessing and managing for appropriate fire regimes to improve biodiversity outcomes; clear process for planning and approval of all fire management works; monitoring outcomes of burning and success of risk mitigation for environmentally significant matters; and audit processes to ensure policy & procedures are being implemented.

DEWNR has submitted a Strategic Assessment to the Commonwealth Government for assessment under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.  This Assessment has identified how these measures mitigate the impacts of the program on Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES) and concludes that implementation of these procedures will result in: small adverse impact to MNES in A-zones; adverse and beneficial impacts to MNES in B-zones - net impacts will be minor; significant benefit to MNES in C-zones and that a ‘do nothing’ option carries an unacceptable risk of catastrophic damage to MNES.

The Commonwealth Minister approved the Assessment in February 2015.  DEWNR no longer needs to refer fire management works to the Commonwealth for assessment – DEWNR‘s processes will meet the requirements of the Commonwealth legislation.  This will be a significant reduction in duplication between the two levels of Government.