Letter to the Editor: Prescribed burns cause unthinkable loss for our ecosystem

Delighted members of the WA Labor party have announced a “boost” of $30 million in taxpayer money and resources being allocated to the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions for “fire defence”.

As stated by the Minister for the Environment Reece Whitby, the money will help bolster DBCA to “combat bushfires that threaten communities and the State’s natural assets”.

While the ill-informed may buy into the government rhetoric, such nonsense does not stick among those who know the DBCA mostly ignites fires and, too often, must combat its own runaway fires that cause unthinkable loss of natural assets.

The truth is communities are mostly defended from fires by their own volunteer firefighting brigades, while the DBCA intervenes only in the most extreme cases — seldom seen.

The DBCA uses all its resources to light fires, aka “prescribed burning”, aiming at scorching not less than 200,000ha (500 times the size of Kings Park or one-third of the entire Perth metropolitan area) of the South West’s forests and national parks each year under the illusory pretence of safety.

These additional $30m in resources will enable DBCA to do more of what it does best — incinerate more of our “natural assets”, flora and fauna alike, as if the carnage currently being done wasn’t grave enough.

For several years, the Government was asked, based on current science, to review the “prescribed burning” practice that is causing ongoing and irreparable loss to our ecosystems.

Instead, the Government bolsters the coffers and resources of those who are steadfast in incinerating our forests.

The exorbitant resources allocated to DBCA that cause widespread ecocide would be, with current technologies, much better allocated to early detection and prompt response, extinguishing rapidly undesired fires while protecting our fragile environment.

The absolute indifference of the Government to addressing the concerns of the community and considering kinder alternatives for the environment indicates deep nepotism and departmental complicity.

Miguel Pez, Kordabup

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