The SA Country Fire Service (CFS) has a legislative responsibility to facilitate and support the planning process of Bushfire Management Planning.

This project's final report and evaluation was completed on 7 March 2018

Project approach

The State Bushfire Co-ordination Committee (SBCC) is responsible for bushfire management planning in SA. The Committee has divided the State into 9 Bushfire Management Areas. There is a Bushfire Management Committee (BMC), for each area which has the responsibility to prepare a Bushfire Management Area Plan (BMAP) for its area. Councils have representation on the BMCs.

The SA Country Fire Service was successful in acquiring funding from the Natural Disaster Resilience Program to conduct a State wide project to produce the Bushfire Management Area Plans. The LGA as an indication of support for the project contributed $50,000 towards the cost (endorsed by LGA Board resolution 21 Nov 2013 BO211113/8.6). The Board attributed a high priority to the development of the bushfire management area plans that involved all rural councils and metropolitan councils whose boundaries were included in the designated urban bushfire risk area. .

The CFS conducted the project by engaging a team of project officers to work with agencies and councils to identify the risks and actions individuals and organisations could take to reduce bushfire risk in the respective bushfire management areas.

Project achievements

An extensive State wide consultation process to produce bushfire management area plans that:

• identified, mapped and assessed bushfire risk to communities and essential public assets, and
• developed treatment plans to reduce the risk of bushfire

There were 330 meetings and workshops held with stakeholders between Dec 2014 - Oct 2017.

Project outputs and outcomes

Bushfire Management Area Plans for the following areas:

• Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges
• Fleurieu
• Flinders, Mid North and Yorke Peninsula
• Kangaroo Island
• Limestone Coast
• Lower Eyre Peninsula
• Murray Mallee
• Outback
• Upper Eyre Peninsula
• Outback BMAP – the majority of asset data has been collected through various sources. Treatments have yet to be finalised.

Project distribution

Information was disseminated through the Bushfire Management Committees on which councils have representation and on the SA CFS website.