Sydney to weather 24 pc more bushfires: report
Sydney to weather 24 pc more bushfires: report
5 December 2008
published by www.abc.net.au
Australia — The New South Wales Government says a new report on climate change reinforces its approach to bushfire prevention and management.
The study, conducted by the University of Wollongong, predicts there will be up to 24 per cent more bushfires in the Sydney basin by 2050.
The report’s author, Professor Ross Bradstock, says it is clear the community must be better prepared for bushfires.
“I would emphasise that the preparation of property and the creation of adequate setbacks of property from flammable vegetation is absolutely critical, and that’s sort of a community and an individual responsibility,” he said.
The report was commissioned by the State Government as part of understanding how climate change will affect the region.
The Government says it has allocated record funding of more than $1.6 billion to the Rural Fire Service for bushfire prevention.
The Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, Carmel Tebbutt, says there is also increased funding to the National Parks and Wildlife Service for its firefighting services.
