Mosaic Map: NRM funded projects
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Helidon Hills landholders plan to manage fire
Anthoni Wood (Rural Operations Area Training and Support Officer) & Senior Ranger Brett Roberts
Ranger John Ledlin & Fiona Bengtsson (SEQ Catchments)
Liz Gould & Tony McKew from SEQ Catchments
The threat of bushfire is the downside of summer for Australia's rural communities.
After large fires hit the Helidon Hills area of South East Queensland in 2002, some land owners decided it was time they became involved in developing a management strategy.
The Helidon Hills Fire Management Program was born in 2004. Out of it has come a strategy that looks not only at how to use fire as a management tool for wildfire protection, but also recommends appropriate regimes to help protect biodiversity.
Covering around 35,000 hectares, Helidon Hills is the largest area of continuous bushland in southeast Queensland. Two thirds of it is freehold land with the remainder in Forest Reserve.
Funding
The Australian Government has given $10,000 to the project - with additional support from the State Government - which has involved a close collaboration between landholders, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, regional Rural Fire Service groups and South East Queensland (SEQ) Catchments.
Activities
"While protecting life and property is obviously a key priority, the strategy places a major emphasis on protecting Helidon Hills' natural assets like native plants and animals," local landholder Fiona Mayers said.
The area is rich in natural assets. It has more than 430 plant species, a number of which are vulnerable or endangered.
These provide habitat for a variety of animals including rare or vulnerable birds like the Glossy Black Cockatoo and Coxen's Fig Parrot, as well as vulnerable animals like the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby, Long-nosed Potoroo and Spotted-tail Quoll. Koalas, gliders native mice and a variety of frogs also make their home in the region.
"The strategy provides detailed information on plants and animals of conservation significance, and where they are found," Fiona said.
"It also recommends what fire management regimes will help to protect them and what are most likely to threaten them."
The strategy puts forward a system of four fire management zones - protection zones, wildfire mitigaton zones, conservation zones and sustainable production zones.
"One of our first tasks was to collate existing information and research and get a picture of the history of fires, fire behaviour and control activities in the region," Fiona said.
"We're aiming at a document that takes an integrated community approach to fire management and are trying to make sure we involve everyone with an interest including community, industry local government and other land management bodies and agencies."
More information
- SEQ Catchments: www.seqcatchments.com.au
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