Bushfire Risk Management Projects Receive $2.68 million Funding Boost
Published Date: 05 Mar 2015
Summary
Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan and NSW Police and Emergency Services Minister Stuart Ayres today announced $2.68 million for new projects to deal with bushfire risks throughout NSW.
126 projects totalling $2,685,264 have already been determined through the Bushfire Risk Management Grants Scheme.
Local governments, NSW National Parks and the Forestry Corporation of NSW are to receive funding to support activities that manage bush fire risks.
Mr Keenan said this announcement is a part of the joint Commonwealth-State Natural Disaster Resilience Program which has provided NSW with $13.5m since 2014.
"While the nature and size of the country's landscape mean that natural hazards are a fact of life in Australia, communities are stepping up efforts to manage natural disaster risks," Mr Keenan said.
"It is only by working together that we can reduce the potentially destructive impacts of future disasters such as bushfires."
Mr Ayres said the funding will provide a major boost to projects focussing on bushfire prevention.
"The program has approved the maintenance of 115 fire trails and 10 fire towers, important in densely forested areas such as National Parks and State Forests," Mr Ayres said.
"Fire towers are important to detect fires early giving fire crews a greater chance of extinguishing them while they are still relatively small and fire trails provide easier access to fires."
