Research helps TFS win national award

10 Dec 2014

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TFS accept their Resilient Australia Award from the Federal Minister for Justice, Michael Keenan

The Tasmania Fire Service have been awarded a national Resilient Australia Award for their Bushfire-Ready Neighbourhoods program, backed by CRC research. The national award builds on a State Resilient Australia Award that was presented in September.

The Bushfire-Ready Neighbourhoods program focuses on building a shared responsibility approach to bushfire preparedness. It is conducted by TFS, and developed in collaboration with the University of Tasmania and the Bushfire CRC.

The Resilient Australia Awards, coordinated nationally by the Attorney-General’s Department, recognise best practice initiatives that build disaster resilience in Australia. Representatives from TFS and the University of Tasmania accepted the overall award for a State/Territory program from Federal Minister for Justice, Hon. Michael Keenan.

TFS Bushfire-Ready Neighbourhoods program coordinator Peter Middleton said “this is national recognition of an action research project that is now driving the TFS program and leading the way nationally in community engagement for bushfire”.

“The program is now operating in many parts of the state and takes a community development approach to building community capacity for bushfire prevention and preparedness.

"The program’s vision is that we all play a part in being bushfire-ready individuals; TFS and communities through sharing the responsibility and taking ownership of the bushfire risk at all levels.

“The success of the pilot would not have been possible without a collaborative partnership between TFS and UTAS which commenced in 2009. This collaboration and pilot program was published as part of Dr Mai Frandsen’s doctoral research thesis entitled Promoting Community Bushfire Preparedness- Bridging the Theory- Practice Divide” said Mr Middleton.

Leading into the 2014-15 bushfire season, the program has been implementing community engagement activities, with staff facilitating the program with communities in many bushfire-prone parts of Tasmania. Mr Middleton said “some of the popular activities include information sessions, bushfire planning workshops, property assessments and expos”.

For further information contact Peter Middleton, Community Development Coordinator Tasmania Fire Service on Peter.Middleton@fire.tas.gov.au