The large investment from the state government covers a raft of fire-fighting tools and is part of the Plantation Fire Protection funding package, mostly aimed at safeguarding primary industries from bushfire threats.
The injection of funds announced on Wednesday is in addition to the $12million already being spent on improvement works at Tumut Aerodrome which got the tick of approval back in 2021.
The latest $5,720,000 for Tumut Aerodrome will be spent on improving the water supply for aerial firefighting and the construction of a hangar for fire suppression aircraft.
The overall fire fighting project – encompassing all of the equipment and systems listed below – is a pilot program, says the NSW government, with monitoring and evaluation to help determine the potential to broaden this program across NSW.
Ranging from latest technology fire detection cameras to aerodrome-based water supplies for firefighting, the projects have been identified to collectively deliver the maximum fire protection, hazard reduction and response capabilities for plantations and communities in the region, says the NSW government.
The full list
• $5,720,000 for Tumut Aerodrome, to improve water supply for aerial firefighting and the construction of a hangar for fire suppression aircraft
• $1,100,000 for the upgrade of Ellerslie Range Fire Trails Program which are strategically important to protect at-risk plantation estates in the Snowy Valleys and includes the Southern Cross Forest complex, Green Hills and Bago State Forests
• $983,339 for the upgrade and maintenance of priority fire trails in Bondo, Bago, Carabost and Jingellic State Forests
• $100,000 for two high volume trailer mounted water pumps for rapid refilling of water transport trucks and fire tankers, to be housed in the Bondo forest depot and Ardrossan forest depot
• $329,490 for a network of Remote Automated Weather Stations to provide data to the Bureau of Meteorology to inform fire preparedness and response across the region
• $145,625 for firefighting water storages in strategic locations exposed to uncontrolled fires – for both private and public plantation land in the Ellerslie forests area to the west of Adelong, forest areas to the west of Humula, Carabost State Forest and Murraguldrie State Forests
• $456,000 for two bulk tankers to transport firefighting water, to be housed at Green Hills
• $387,106 for specialist tractor and mulcher, based in Tumbarumba, to undertake growth suppression and non-burn hazard reduction in key fire corridors
• $1,537,800 for an all-terrain firefighting machine with water tank and high flow water pumps that will deliver large volumes of water in difficult plantation situations to be housed in the Tumut area
• $828,139 to expand the PSN (Public Safety Network) radio network for plantation workers, across the Murry region
• $325,000 for three additional fire detection cameras on Mt Ikes, Table Top and Mt Flakney to complete the network monitoring the Murray Valley timber plantation estate
• $220,000 for the Australian Fire Danger Rating System – which provides critical data to assess fire risk across the Murray region
• $767,500 to upgrade of cabins in five fire towers to ensure early detection in Munderoo Fire Tower (Snowy Valleys), Tumorrama Fire Tower (Snowy Valleys), Burngoogie Fire Tower (Wagga Wagga), Kendall Fire Tower (Snowy Valleys) and Kangaroo Fire Tower (Cootamundra-Gundagai).
Snowy Valleys Council Mayor, Julia Ham, told the Times, “this funding is the result of five years of advocacy by the Snowy Valleys Council, RFS, Soft Woods Working group and many other people who are driven to make sure there is no repeat of the 2019-2020 fires.
“The improvements will allow for improved aerial access, better water storage and water carrying equipment,” said the Mayor.
“Fire detection cameras and updated weather stations will help with fire detection allowing for a quicker response time.
“Had these improvements been available in 2019 it is possible the outcome from the lightning strike on Dunns Rd would have been acted on more efficiently and the impact on the district very different.
“Snowy Valleys Council is very grateful to the NSW government for financially supporting these fire protection projects in an effort to keep our community safe into the future,” she said.
Funding has been endorsed for 15 local projects which will form a network of enhanced fire protection initiatives across the Murray region, including Snowy Valleys, Greater Hume, Cootamundra-Gundagai, plus Albury and Wagga Wagga LGAs.
While the projects will protect plantation resources, they also provide increased protection for the local residents and businesses of the broad area.
The projects were identified by representatives from the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), and the Softwoods Working Group, with additional input from plantation owners, local councils, Forestry Corporation and other fire authorities.
“The Murray region was hit particularly hard in the 2019/20 bushfires and we lost a significant stock of our future housing timber. We can’t afford to lose any more,” Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty said.
“These projects will play a vital role in protecting the remaining critical timber supplies in the Murray region as we move into the 2024-25 bushfire season and beyond.
“These same timber plantations will produce the quality timber our NSW housing sector so desperately needs now and for generations to come, so it’s important to find ways to protect them from bushfires.
“I am confident this program will build resilience into this important regional industry through measures that deliver improved fire prevention, detection and response, making our communities safer in the process.”
Independent MP for Wagga Wagga, Dr Joe McGirr, said memories of the disastrous Dunns Road fire five years ago were still fresh in local minds, so the measures to reduce fire risk in the Snowy Valleys were very welcome.
“The softwoods industry is an economic powerhouse for the local economy so it’s essential that all steps possible are taken to protect livelihoods and businesses that depend on safe and secure plantations,” he said.
“The enhancements at the Tumut aerodrome will be an important addition to the region’s firefighting capacity.
“This is the result of positive collaboration between industry, the Rural Fire Service, Snowy Valleys Council and government and I congratulate all involved.”
