Labor smokes bushfire inquiry hopes

LABOR has shut down a LNP motion for a Parliamentary Inquiry to the 2018 bushfires which devastated Baffle Creek and Deepwater.

SHUT DOWN: The Palaszczuk Government has blocked a Parliamentary Inquiry into the bushfires in Deepwater and Baffle Creek last year.

THE State Government has shut down a parliamentary inquiry into the bushfires that devastated Baffle Creek and Deepwater last year.

Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett said an inquiry was vital because a closed internal review would fail to investigate key concerns surrounding what fuelled the blazes.

Firefighters battled the Deepwater blazes, which caused many residents to evacuate.

"I share the concerns many locals hold about land management practices to control fuel loads, how our national parks are managed and what landholders want to do to protect their property and livestock,” he said.

"More than a million hectares were destroyed in a fortnight of fires and it's been clear from the very beginning that a parliamentary inquiry is needed to get our bushfire management policies right.

"It's about saving lives and communities.”

Mr Bennett accused the government of "playing politics” instead of working towards better bushfire prevention.

"I've been calling for bipartisan support for a parliamentary inquiry to learn lessons from this tragedy,” he said.

"The impact these fires had on our communities, the environment and our farmers was significant, so let's review to prevent future risks to our community.

"Our firefighters and volunteers did an outstanding job responding to the fires and the inquiry is not about the response, it's about providing these volunteers support.

"Ineffective bushfire management in our national parks and protected estates as well as a dramatic drop in the number of burns by Queensland Fire and Emergency Services are key concerns that we cannot afford to turn a blind eye to.”

A Palaszczuk Government spokesperson said the Inspector-General Emergency Management was already conducting a wide-ranging review.

"IGEM was established by the Newman government and Deb Frecklington and Tim Mander both voted for the bill at the time,” the spokesperson said.

"Submissions are being taken from all interested parties, including members of the public.

"The Palaszczuk Government has commented on the issue of fire breaks many times, highlighting the dangerous misinformation spread.

"There have been no changes to rules about fire breaks. Our vegetation management legislation did not change the way farmers and property owners can clear fire breaks to protect their homes and properties. They can still clear a fire break up to 20m wide or 1.5 times the height of the tallest tree without any permit.”