Queensland Parks and Wildfire Service, Coastal and Islands region recently conducted their annual fire management workshop at Rainbow Beach. The annual fire refresher training programme was attended by staff working across the Great Sandy National Park (K’gari and Cooloola) and Marine Parks in the Great Sandy Area, with a traditional Welcome to Country delivered by Mr Boyd Blackman.
Annual fire refresher workshops ensured all staff involved in planned burning and wildfire response are aware of the latest advances and technology in QPWS fire management practices and procedures. The workshop also provides the opportunity to brush up on existing skills and share old knowledge with new heads.
The objective of the QPWS fire management programme is to maintain the critical role that fire has in the cultural and natural landscape while reserving highest priority for the protection of life and property. Safety is the number one priority in all QPWS fire management activities and a large part of the workshop agenda was devoted to technical and practical exercises covering ranger safety on the fire line.
All rangers and support staff who attended the workshop now have improved understanding and the ability for managing fire and the benefits that this has for protecting the cultural and natural landscape and communities of the Great Sandy Area.
If you are wondering how Marine Parks and fire go together, Marine park rangers play a critical role in the fire management on smaller National Park islands in the Great Sandy Strait as well as supporting fire activities along coastal areas not readily accessible by road.
Contributed by Mark Cody (Principal Ranger Technical Support) and Linda Behrendorff (Fire and Pest management) Coastal and Islands Region.
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