Why we need a plan
Bush Fire Risk Management Plans are an effective instrument for managing risk to human activity and valued community and environmental assets. They are a key component in a multifaceted bush fire management approach for NSW.
We are planning together to manage bush fire risk in the Lithgow area by preparing a new five-year plan of strategies and actions.
How will your input be used
The data from the Have Your Say survey responses has been anonymously supplied to your area’s Bush Fire Management Committee. They will assess data collections rather than individual answers, so that they can establish a clearer community sentiment and gain insights from a large sample size.The personal details you submitted will be used to validate your submission and to allow notifications to be sent to you when the status of this BFRMP changes.
Our community
The Lithgow Bush Fire Management Committee (BFMC) area spans 450,341 hectares (ha). The area covers the Local Government Areas (LGA) of Lithgow and features National Parks covering an area of 194,712ha (43.2% of the BFMC area) and State Forests covering an area of 57,087ha (12.7% of the BFMC area).
The Lithgow BFMC area has approximately 80% bushland and 18% grassland with the balance being the built environment or water bodies. A bush or grass fire can happen at any time of the year, but the risk is higher during the warmer months, when bush, grass or scrub is drier.
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According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census Community Profile there are 9,585 residential dwellings in the Lithgow BFMC area with an approximate population of 18,840.
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According to the ABS data on the counts of Australian businesses, there were 801 businesses in the Lithgow BFMC area. The top three included Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing, Construction and Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services accounting for approximately 55% of businesses in the BFMC area.
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The last major bush fire happened in the 2019/2020 bush fire season with 248,498 hectares burnt.
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There are several valuable community assets across the area along with a number of culturally significant sites and environmentally important sties.
Current Bush Fire Risk Management Plan for Lithgow
The Lithgow Bush Fire Risk Management Plan (BFRMP) was approved on 3 February 2021.
This BFRMP identifies the bush fire risks in Lithgow and sets out the types of work scheduled to deal with the risk of bush fires.
BFRMPs are updated within every five-year period, however, the treatments and works set out in the plans are subject to change on a yearly basis due to fire activity, weather and new risk factors. This plan may not have been updated with the latest treatment and works plans/information.
Lithgow BFMC is made up of a range of stakeholders from the area including emergency services, land management agencies, local government and local aboriginal land services, and local community groups. This ensures key community stakeholders have a say on bush fire management activities for the benefit of their communities.
Lithgow BFMC is made up of the following representatives:
- NSW Rural Fire Service
- NSW Crown Lands
- Department of Defence
- Energy Australia
- NSW Farmers' Association
- Fire and Rescue NSW
- Forestry Corporation of New South Wales
- Lithgow City Council
- Local Aboriginal Land Council
- Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales
- National Parks and Wildlife Service
- NSW Police Force
- Transport for NSW