Perth / Western Australia

A rally will be held in Margaret River at the weekend to call on the state government to fund rapid bushfire suppression equipment and scale back “failing” prescribed burns in the South West.

Globally there has been a shift towards adopting new early detection and rapid suppression equipment to quickly identify and extinguish bushfires.

The technology, including smoke detection cameras, satellite monitoring, AI software and drones to give a bird’s-eye view to spot developing fires, is already operational in Canada and California.

It is being rolled out in European countries and along the east coast of Australia.

WA Forest Alliance senior campaigner Jason Fowler said the WA government and Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions were lagging and reliant on “outdated and dangerous” policy.

“The prescribed burning program is no longer effective at protecting South West communities in a drying and warming climate,” he said.

“Only half of prescribed burns close to communities have been completed last year because they are too risky.

“Forests are also suffering with an increasing number of high-intensity burns causing severe damage.”