K’gari Fraser Island recovery

Lessons learned as unique natural heritage burned

Introduction:

People’s burning passion for Fraser Island – more often known as K’gari today, the name given by the island’s traditional owners, the Butchulla people – became something else after eight weeks of raging bushfires in late 2020. The aftermath of the fires ignited a massive effort by local community groups, conservationists, governments, bushfire researchers, emergency services and the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation to recover the island’s ecology and plan ahead so that such a tragedy may never happen again. This report is a digest of issues and plans raised in the most recent Fraser Island Natural Integrity Alliance (FINIA) newsletter, following a FINIA-coordinated annual field trip in May. FINIA is the organisation that brings concerned organisations and local community together to help co-ordinate a better future for K’gari. 

REPORT:

FRASER ISLAND Natural Integrity Alliance (FINIA), an inclusive group of stakeholders who share an interest in K’gari, gathered on the island in May to both discuss a government review on the bushfires and to agree on future management initiatives and programs locally.

Groups represented on the May 17-18 field trip included the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation (BAC), Butchulla Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (BNTAC), Cooloola Coastcare, Fraser Island Defenders Organisation (FIDO), Fraser Island Association (FIA), Eurong and Happy Valley Community Associations, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Partnerships (QPWS&P), Queensland Department of Resources, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Sandy Cape Lighthouse Conservation Association, and the University of the Sunshine Coast.

A meeting also occurred with representatives from the Fraser Coast Regional Council. Fire expert Winston Williams from Orchid Beach was also present. All these groups have a lot in common and strive to coordinate for the best outcomes for K’gari. 

This particular meeting was timely because several initiatives had been started in response to the very severe fires which impacted K’gari in late 2020 and details were discussed about the Queensland Government’s review of the bushfires.

After this meeting, the Inspector-General for Emergency Management’s (IGEM) review and the government’s response to the K’gari bushfires were tabled in State Parliament. The government response stated that all 38 of the report’s recommendations, with input from all bodies at the May meeting, were either supported or supported in principle. 

IGEM Alistair Dawson made a statement that one of the IGEM’s critical, ongoing roles was to analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of disaster management arrangements in Queensland. Firefighters, volunteers, government personnel, traditional owners and the local community worked together to battle the blaze.

After almost eight weeks, the blaze had eventually been controlled by a substantial fire-fighting effort involving more than 90 firefighters, a dedicated Incident Room, 17 water-bombing aircraft and, finally, the arrival of rain on December 8. By the time the blaze was brought under control, it had burnt about one-third of the vegetation of K’gari. 

During the review, the IGEM engaged with the BAC, held a forum with the Butchulla people, conducted five community and business forums and considered 78 written submissions. In addition, the review team undertook extensive consultation with QFES, the Queensland Police Service, QPWS&P and the Fraser Coast Regional Council. 

“The review also highlighted examples of good practice and found opportunities for QFES and QPWS to better engage with relevant stakeholders, the Butchulla people and the community to plan and undertake hazard mitigation activities,” Mr Dawson said.

QFES Acting Commissioner Mike Wassing said, “This fire was different to most and extremely challenging, but the work of QFES and QPWS staff and volunteers, partner agencies, local tourism and business operators, and the community was incredible.”

FINIA partners welcome Bushfire Review recommendations

The Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation welcomed the IGEM K’gari Bushfire Review report and its recommendations. BAC has made a lengthy submission to the review team and co-facilitated an IGEM Review workshop with the Butchulla community, seeing many of their recommendations incorporated into the final report.    

“Participating in the Incident Management Team at the Incident Control Centre for the first time enabled the BAC to view the impacts of the bushfire and assess gaps in the management process,” BAC general manager Veronica Bird said.

“The Butchulla community has expressed their concerns about the longer-term implications of the fire. Impacts to the island’s flora and fauna, lakes that were harvested for water, and pests and diseases inadvertently introduced from the mainland.” 

The BAC directors were encouraged to see that the report included Butchulla perspectives and aspirations for K’gari throughout the document, including involvement in the prescribed burns and cultural burns.  

“We particularly welcome recommendation eight, that the BAC will be involved in the prescribed burn program and Fire Management practices with the Department of Science, progressing the reintroduction of cultural burns to K’gari,” Ms Bird said.    

Butchulla community involvement was identified in five recommendations (8, 9, 10, 26 and 29), including: 

• A collaborative review of firelines, tracks and trails on K’gari [9];
• The review of the Interagency Protocol for Fire Management [10];
• Engagement to source data to inform Predictive Services products [26]; and
• Expansion of the K’gari Locality Specific Fire Management Group to include representatives of the Butchulla people [29].

FINIA’s chair, Sue Sargent was also pleased to see the need to better recognise World Heritage values in Queensland’s fire management response.  

Recommendation 1 proposed a set of guiding principles that reflect a unified response to World Heritage-listed sites in Queensland be included in the Queensland State Disaster Management Plan and reflected in the Queensland Bushfire Plan.

Recommendation 2 proposed the Queensland Government works with the Commonwealth Government to review the Project Agreement for World Heritage Management to ensure Queensland and Australia continue to meet their obligations under the World Heritage Convention to protect, conserve and present our World Heritage properties.  The Queensland Government adopted both recommendations.

“It’s not enough to focus on life and property. To meet the terms of the World Heritage Convention, then we need to manage globally significant ‘natural infrastructure’ in a way that conserves these values for future generations,” Ms Sargent said.

ends