The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to protecting lives and property in Tasmania from the risk of bushfires.
I am pleased that our Fuel Reduction Unit has now commenced their spring fuel reduction program to ensure Tasmanian communities will be safer from the threat of bushfires.
This program, which is the first of its kind in Australia, is a tenure blind, risk-based approach to managing vegetation fuel loads and reduce state-wide risk from bushfires.
The Government invested $28.5 million over four years to significantly increase fuel reduction burning when we came to Government after Labor, captive to the Greens, ignored proper investment during their time in Government.
The importance of proper fuel reduction was underlined after the 2015-16 fire season that saw over 300 reported bushfire incidents that required a response, and while fuel reduction cannot completely eliminate the risk of bushfires, it does reduce the potential for serious damage and increases safety for firefighters and the community.
The TFS will provide a regularly updated schedule of fuel reduction burns through local media and online via the www.fire.tas.gov.au website, which features a map of planned and current burns.
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