Disaster Averted? How green firebreaks could shield Hobart

Could so-called green firebreaks - strips of low flammability plant-life - protect Hobart from a bushfire disaster?

This public forum, drawing upon the knowledge of current researchers and practitioners, is jointly sponsored by the University of Tasmania and the City of Hobart.

Dr Tim Curran, Senior Lecturer in Ecology at Lincoln University in New Zealand, is a world authority on green firebreaks and is leading a global review of their effectiveness. He and his research group have been measuring shoot flammability on a wide range of plants to identify appropriate species to be used in green firebreaks.

The public forum will be opened by Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds and facilitated by Professor David Bowman, Director of the Fire Centre Research Hub. 

Dr Curran will be joined by a panel including: 

•  Justin Leonard, Research Leader of Bushfire Urban Design, CSIRO. Mr Leonard is the Australian authority on bushfire risk and infrastructure.
• Jane Cawson, Fire Behaviour and Management Specialist, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne. Dr Cawson researches fire management in wet eucalyptus forests, including planned burning and green firebreaks.
• John Fisher, Program Leader of the Fire and Biodiversity Bushland and Reserves Unit, Hobart City Council. Mr Fisher's national expertise in fire management has been gained through working in NSW, the ACT and Tasmania.
• Jamey Furlaud, PhD student, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania. Mr Furlaud is currently undertaking a PhD project into the intersection of climate and flammability of wet eucalyptus forests.

Refreshments will be available from 5.30 pm.

To attend, register here.

When

Location

Stanley Burbury Theatre, Sandy Bay Campus, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, 7005, View Map