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.
Developed using robust data and sophisticated technology and modelling, the plans determine risk factors and develop solutions that best mitigate them.
Feedback from the exhibition of a draft plan for Mid Coast is currently being assessed. Public feedback will be taken into consideration as the plan is finalised by the Mid Coast Bush Fire Management Committee before being sent to the Bush Fire Coordinating Committee for review.
Current Bush Fire Risk Management Plan for Mid Coast
The Bush Fire Risk Management Plan for Mid Coast was prepared under two previous Bush Fire Management Committee areas.
The Mid Coast Bush Fire Risk Management Plan was published on 26 July 2019.
This plan identified the bush fire risks in the Mid Coast District and sets out the types of work scheduled to deal with the risk of bush fires.
Bush Fire Risk Management Plans 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 information.
The Mid Coast Coast Bush Fire Management Committee 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.
Mid Coast Bush Fire Management Committee is made up of the following representatives:
- NSW Rural Fire Service
- NSW Department of Planning and Environment (Crown Lands)
- NSW Farmers' Association
- Fire and Rescue NSW
- NSW Forestry Corporation
- MidCoast Council
- Port Macquarie Hastings Council
- Birpai Local Aboriginal Land Council
- Purfleet/Taree Local Aboriginal Land Council
- Karuah Local Aboriginal Land Council
- Forster Local Aboriginal Land Council
- Bunya Local Aboriginal Land Council
- Nature Conservation Council of NSW
- NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
- NSW Police Force
- Transport for NSW
- Essential Energy
- Transgrid
- Railcorp
The Mid Coast Bush Fire Management Committee area spans 1,391,60 hectares (ha). The area covers the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Mid Coast and Port Macquarie Hastings and features National Parks covering an area of 274,511ha (19.72% of BFMC area) and State Forests covering an area of 195,109ha (14% of BFMC area).
The Mid Coast area has approximately 70.2% bushland and 9.1% 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 90,298 residential dwellings in the Mid Coast BFMC area with an approximate population of 183,341. -
According to the ABS data on the counts of Australian businesses, there were 7,667 in the Mid Coast BFMC area. The top three industries in the BFMC are Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing, Construction and Rental, hiring and real estate services, which make up approximately 55.5% of businesses in the Mid Coast BFMC. -
The last major bush fires happened in the 2019/20 bush fire season – with 451,998 hectares burned. -
There are several valuable community assets across the area along with a number of culturally significant sites and environmentally important sites.
For more information contact your local NSW RFS Fire Control Centre
