National Burning Project: Prescribed Burning Guidelines and Frameworks

These guidelines and frameworks were produced by the National Burning Project.

The National Burning Project was an initiative of the Forest Fire Management Group and AFAC. It was funded by AFAC member agencies and the Commonwealth of Australia.

Drawing upon the expertise of scientists, program managers, burn planners and practitioners across Australia, the project documented best practice regarding the strategic, operational and ecological aspects of prescribed burning. A suite of publications provides principles, frameworks and guidance for policy development, program design, burn planning, implementation and evaluation, including the management of risk.

All publications are scheduled for periodic review, and others will be developed as gaps are identified and lessons learned.

Summary Guides

Frameworks, principles and processes in ready-to-use synopses

National Position on Prescribed Burning

Articulates the nationally agreed position and the supporting principles. (1.4 MB)

Best Practice Principles

Outlines the principles for prescribed burn planning from strategic intent thought to burn implementation. (1.8 MB)

Risk Management Frameworks 

Summarised risk frameworks for fuel hazards, operations, ecological and smoke and greenhouse gases. (1.8 MB)

Objectives, Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

High level principles for formulating objectives and monitoring programs. (1.9 MB)

Process Map

Step-by-step best practice guide referencing all principles and guidelines. (1.0 MB)

Program Logic Model

Charting the rationale underpinning prescribed burning programs. (0.8 MB)

Guidelines, frameworks and reports

Full documentation and background to the principles, frameworks and guidelines to inform all levels of prescribed burning

National Guidelines for Prescribed Burning Strategic and Program Planning

These guidelines build a set of best practice principles, supported by evidence and guiding notes. (2.0 MB)

National Guidelines for Prescribed Burning Operations

These guidelines build a set of best practice principles, supported by evidence and guiding notes. (3.5 MB)

Prescribed Burning Performance Measures

A set of performance measures that encompass prescribed burning inputs, activities and outputs over short and long term goals. (6.0 MB)

Risk Management Framework - Fuel Hazards

A framework that facilitates an improved alignment of approaches and greater appreciation of fuel hazards. (3.9 MB)

Risk Management Framework - Operational

Examines operational risk to life and property and analyses the risk controls in a structured manner. (2.8 MB)

Risk Management Framework - Ecological

This framework provides an approach to consider the steps an processes to take when seeking the best ecological outcomes with respect to prescribed burning. (4.0 MB)

Risk Management Framework - Smoke and Greenhouse Gases

A framework for the management of risks associated with smoke and greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on amenities, prosperity,health and safety. (2.3 MB)

Objectives Setting and Analysis case studies

Examines two case studies that use the cost:benefit tool for assessing outcomes from prescribed burning program strategies. (5.58 MB)

Objectives Setting and Analysis cost-benefit tool

This tool is designed for longer-term strategic decision making rather than shorter-term decision making; the latter is often more tactical or reactive. The tool is partially populated with New South Wales data for illustrative purposes only; users should replace this and complete the spreadsheet with data specific to the region in question.

Objectives Setting and Analysis user guide

This user guide is provided for agencies who are using the Objectives Analysis spreadsheet tool.

Overview of Prescribed Burning in Australasia

This report is a useful introduction and overview to the role of fire in the Australasian landscape and the origins and evidence that underpins the use of prescribed fire. (1.9 MB)

Review of Best Practice

Provides a detailed account of prescribed burning practices considered to be examples of best practice. (10.8 MB)

Training Competencies and Delivery Review

Investigates and recommends preferred options for an approved suite of competencies and the delivery of national training programs. (6.8 MB)

Capability Optimisation Review

Assess the current capability and reports on options to improve capability through shared resources. (5.0 MB)

 

Documents

pdf 3.4 MB
FFMG National Bushfire Management Policy Statement for Forests and Rangelands The National Burning Project products are aligned to this policy statement and supporting strategies that were developed by all Australian governments to guide the evolution of effective and ecologically sustainable fire regimes within Australia. It builds on experience gained across Australia and assists in developing a more coordinated approach. This policy lays the foundation for future bushfire management in Australia, Download
pdf 2.7 MB
Case study 1 – Bush-urban interface burning in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales This case study incorporates burn operations planning and implementation practice information, as well as relevant fire science on which current procedures have been founded. It focuses on prescribed burning in public land managed by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service. Download
pdf 1.6 MB
Case study 2 – Burning young silvertop ash regrowth forests in New South Wales Young regrowth forests being managed for timber production and other values can suffer significant damage, timber value degrade, and productivity loss from fires of sufficient intensity to cause excessive stem or crown damage. Forestry organisations may seek to reduce the risk of future tree crop damage by wildfire, through conducting fuel reduction burning in regrowth forests that are suitably resilient to low intensity fire. Download
pdf 3.2 MB
Case study 3 – Low intensity burning in tall moist Karri forests in Western Australia This case study incorporates relevant fuel assessment fire behaviour prediction components from the Forest Fire Behaviour Tables for Western Australia – commonly called the ‘Red Book’ and planning practice from the Department of Parks and Wildlife’s Prescribed Fire Manual 2013. Download
pdf 7.0 MB
Case study 4 – Multi-year landscape burning in forested mountain terrain using natural boundaries in Victoria This case study integrates knowledge and operational practice information from a range of sources including the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP)’s Landscape Mosaic Burning Planning Guidelines, and burn planning information for the Lake Dartmouth Landscape Mosaic Burn Unit. The case study focuses on the Lake Dartmouth Landscape Mosaic Burn Unit in order to illustrate broad-scale, unbounded mosaic burning. Download
pdf 1.8 MB
Case study 5 – Semi-arid mallee and mallee-heath burning This case study is a synthesis of semi-arid mallee and mallee-heath fuels, fire behaviour and burning information documented in reports from South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. It incorporates burn operations planning and implementation practice information, as well as relevant fire science on which current procedures are founded. Download
pdf 2.2 MB
Case study 6 – Buttongrass moorland burning in Tasmania This case study is a synthesis of buttongrass burning information documented in Buttongrass Moorland Fire-Behaviour Prediction and Management, Planned Burning in Tasmania I, II, and III, and Parks and Wildlife Service Fire Planning Policy P- 055. It incorporates burning operations planning and implementation practice information, as well as relevant fire science on which current procedures are founded. Download
pdf 1.8 MB
Case study 7 – Burning for greenhouse gas abatement in Northern Australia This case study synthesises information from Russell-Smith et al., with general procedural information about planning and implementing savanna burning. Download
pdf 3.8 MB
Case study 8 – Burning of spinifex grasslands in the arid interior of Western Australia This case study synthesises information from the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) Prescribed Fire Manual; the Western Australia Spinifex Grassland Fire Behaviour Guide – Mk 2, the DPaW Lorna Glen/Earaheedy Fire Management Plan 2011–2015; and annual operations implementation reports. Download
pdf 2.3 MB
Case study 9 – Burning for eucalypt forest health in South-east Queensland and Northern New South Wales This case study summarises how a Vegetation Condition Assessment Framework is applied as part of the Burning Block Analysis Phase (Principles 1 and 2) to south-east Queensland conservation reserves. Download