NSW Farmers has recommended to the NSW Independent Bushfire Inquiry it is time to reintroduce grazing cattle on crown land and in national parks to reduce fuel loads.
The association suggested numbers be limited to 100 and only include a landholder's breeding cows.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro made a similar request of the inquiry.
"Given the unprecendented scale of the 2019/20 bushfires there are clear reasons for exploring reintroduction of grazing to minimise fuel loads," wrote Mr Barilaro.
He advocated broad-scale pilot programs of grazing across national parks in NSW backed up by testing, monitoring and evaluating its ability to both prevent and limit the impact of bushfires.
NSW Farmers also recommended:
- Dams be built in national parks and more internal firebreaks created, combined with more frequent hazard reduction burns across a larger area.
- Registered fire trails be graded and 4 metres wide, with 2m cleared on either side, allowing fire trucks to pass each other, and turning bays be constructed every 250m to 500m.
- Legislation be amended to ensure a landholder's water is replenished if drained for fire fighting.
- Water storages to supply fire trucks be identified in national parks.
- The status of bushfire management plans be available to fire crews actively fighting fires.
- Hazard reduction burns be carried out in a timeframe agreed by Rural Fire Service group captains, captains and local brigades.
- Corridors as wide as 60m be cleared along boundary fences for properties bigger than 450 hectares.
The submission also said early action to contain fire should be a key role in collective agency behaviour in a fire's initial stages.
It said "asset protection" generally prioritised housing, not critical farm infrastructure or livestock.
In its submission, the NSW Country Women's Association was critical of how the landscape is being managed.
"Over the last few decades, the environmental impact on the land by human beings has been responded to in various ways by both state and federal governments, and the community in general," the association wrote.
The submission said there had been a "higher scrutiny on our environmental impact", and subsequent legislation by governments.
"In the case of NSW (and other states, and federally), the government's response has been to legislate right down to individual trees, stems and shrubs, the management of land across the whole state.
"This has, on the whole, eroded our ability to actively manage our land," the CWA submission said.
There is no doubt that some level of regulation and legislation is needed to prevent broadscale destruction of native habitat, wildlife, and ecosystems, it said.
"However, we do not believe the balance has yet been struck."
"There have been some recent attempts through the introduction of new biodiversity legislation in NSW, as well as some new 'clearing' rules for bushfire management zones in urbanised areas (for example, the '10/50 rule', a response to the 2013 fires).
- The 10/50 rule allows a property owner in a designated bushfire-risk area to clear any vegetation within 10m of their home and any vegetation other than trees within 50m of their home.
"However, the central tenet of managing vegetation tree by tree, stem by stem, remains across all layers of legislation," the CWA wrote.
"This type of regime does not fit with active landscape management.
"Regional, strategic planning is desperately needed, which utilises, meaningfully incorporates, and employs local knowledge and expertise," it wrote.
CWA members also raised concerns about:
- The safety of firefighting vehicles, including crash protection;
- Proper management of access tracks;
- Whole-of-government planning to avoid 'one road in - one road out' scenarios;
- Increased house safety checks;
- A vital need for interstate/territory cooperation and communication;
- Better fire education in the urban and urban fringe areas.
Have you signed up for The Land morning briefing? You can register free below. Each weekday morning you'll receive the latest in NSW agriculture.
