Ms O’CONNOR – question to MINISTER for PARKS and ENVIROMENT, Mr DUIGAN
Thank you to the minister for that thorough answer. What can Tasmanians who will be visiting parks and the TWWHA (Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area) in coming months and over summer best do to make sure the risk of an accidentally lit fire within the TWWHA is mitigated to the greatest extent possible? What is the best advice that is coming to you as minister for this fire season in terms of the level of threat? What is the Bureau of Meteorology’s advice to Parks and what are we looking at this season?
ANSWER
Mr President, I thank the member for the question. The fire restriction advice is provided by the Tasmanian Fire Service, and Parks follows that advice. As I mentioned in my previous answer, there are specific rules regarding campgrounds and so on, and those are updated. Obviously, we would encourage people to be conscious of those restrictions and be engaged with the process and where to find the most up-to-date information when they are travelling, particularly in those sensitive areas. A lot of times those will have fuel-stove-only restrictions and things of that nature. We would expect that people would be knowledgeable about their responsibilities when they are going into our parks and the TWWHA.
In terms of what we are hearing about the upcoming fire season, I would have to take that on notice. I have not had a briefing on that; I am happy to take that one on notice and provide an update shortly.
Ms O’Connor – Could you do that later today or tomorrow?
Mr DUIGAN – Tomorrow.
Ms O’Connor – Thank you.
