News

Australia's tropical savannas cover two million square kilometres and are largely uncleared. They account for about a third of Australia's land-based carbon stores and have the potential to store even more.

Climate change is likely to see an increase in the larger, more intense bushfires across Australia, a University of Melbourne bushfire expert says. Dr Kevin Tolhurst, a senior lecturer in fire ecology and management in the University’s Institute of Land and Food Resources (ILFR), says such fires would also have a significant impact on Australia’s water and biodiversity values.

The behaviour of fires in different terrain, climate, and vegetation type will be the focus of research aiming to test fire management practices in different landscapes.

The NSW Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) will contribute $100,000 per year as a partner in the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), launched today, in recognition of the need for ongoing research into bushfires and the best way to prevent and manage them.