Farmers too scared to clear firebreaks on their land

Some Queensland farmers were too scared to clear protective firebreaks on their land.

The burnt remains of a house destroyed in a bushfire seen Kabra, Queensland, last November. Picture: AAP

An expert review of last year’s “catastrophic” Queensland bushfires has warned the Palaszczuk government to clarify its tree-clearing legislation after some farmers were too scared to clear protective firebreaks on their land.

At the peak of the bushfires in November and December last year, severe heatwaves sparked more than 200 blazes in central and north Queensland, and prompted evacuations across the state.

But a report from the state’s ­Inspector-General of Emergency Management, released yesterday, found that all landholders did not know that Queensland’s complex tree-clearing legislation allowed for clearing for bushfire mitigation since 2004.

The Queensland Labor government cracked down on tree-clearing in May last year, and tightened ­vegetation management laws. Even though the bushfire mitigation regulations did not change, farmers were left confused, frustrated and fearful about rules for backburning and clearing firebreaks, the report found.

“One property owner in Central Highlands demonstrated his need to build a (fire) break larger than the legislated 10m along the fence line, because the breaks on adjacent state land were in­adequate to provide appropriate protection,” the report reads.

“This approach, while highly practical and undoubtedly effective during these events, was ­technically in breach of the ­legislation.”

Inspector-General Emergency Management spokesman Mike Shapland said yesterday the rules around land clearing for fire mitigation needed to be made clearer and easier.

“Landowners we spoke to were very aware of their responsibilities under the legislation and were worried about breaching that ­aspect, and there was some caution in terms of their approach to backburning on that basis,” Mr Shapland said.

The report recommends that: “given an increasing risk of ­intense fires”, the framework of legislation relating to tree-­clearing, bushfire mitigation and hazard reduction should be “reassessed”.

The Inspector-General yesterday wrote to the government to say he did not mean the legislation should be reviewed or reformed, just clarified. “I advise that the desired outcome of the recommendation is, given the propensity for large-scale events in the future, to ­enhance the ability for the ­reduction of risk through consistent and practical means of identifying, implementing and monitor­ing mitigation activities at a local level,” the letter said.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday said the government would launch an ­advertising campaign in response to the expert recommendations.

“There’s legitimate concern out there that we need to be more effective in getting our message out, making sure landholders do know they can clear,” Ms Palas­zczuk said.