THE LNP has released its bushfire mitigation strategy for Queensland as the fire emergency continues to grip southern states.
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The 10 point plan includes measures to both mitigate and respond to bushfires in the state, including opening some state forests and national parks to grazing to reduce the fuel load.
Opposition leader Deb Frecklington said the LNP would make sweeping improvements to Queensland's bushfire strategy.
"In a bushfire-prone state like ours, the government must stop at nothing to ensure communities are kept safe."
The plan is the culmination of recommendations by the Inspector-General Emergency Management, stakeholders, and implementing the advice of Queensland's rural firefighters.
The key points include:
- Establish a single point of contact for landholders and councils to submit bushfire mitigation inquiries and permits.
- Automatically approve properly made burn permits for landholders and councils after 15 business days.
- New KPIs to achieve 98 per cent of hazard reduction activities.
- Trial a traditional burning program run by Indigenous rangers.
- Establish a cabinet committee to monitor state departments and landholders' hazard reduction activities.
- Allow monitored grazing in state forests and some national parks.
- Establish urban-based Rural Fire volunteer brigades.
- Restore local control to Rural Fire brigades.
- Establish a Rural Fire board.
- Review aerial firefighting capability.
The LNP plan comes after Katter's Australian Party renewed their calls to open up national parks and state forests to grazing, to both mitigate bushfire risk and aid drought stricken farmers.
Rural Fire Brigades Association Queensland general manager Justin Choveaux said he would be interested to learn more details of the LNP plan. He said while establishing Rural Fire service boards was good in theory, consultation with brigades and volunteers was needed.
Green Shirts Movement founder Martin Bella said any bushfire policy needed to give control back to locals.
"Every fire is different, the terrain is different," Cr Bella said.
"Control needs to be given to those on the ground, you can't farm from behind a desk in Brisbane and you can't fight a bushfire from behind a desk in Brisbane."
