Walpole Wilderness Fire - High intensity fire rips through Sharpe and Deep Forests

Sharpe and Deep forests are Karri, Yellow Tingle, Jarrah and Marri forests within the Walpole Wilderness Area. The Deep River, one of Australia’s last wild rivers, runs through the forests and it is critical habitat for numerous species of flora and fauna, many of which are unique to Western Australia and threatened with extinction.

Between October 2010 and January 2011 the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) lit fires within this 9153 hectare area on seven different days (WA Legislative Council, Question on Notice No. 4697, Sept 2011). DEC stated that the primary purpose of the burn was ‘biodiversity management’ and that the secondary objective was to achieve ‘strategic protection’.

The fire burnt out 80% of the 9153 hectare area (Question on Notice No. 4697).  DEC has not assessed the degree of crown scorching following this fire, claiming it was ‘not listed as a success’ criterion (Question on Notice No. 4697) but photographs and descriptions of its aftermath show how high the flames travelled into the canopy and the satellite imagery from the 3^rd November shows the heat and scale of the fire that day. Fires were lit on three more days following the satellite image shown below. 

Fauna

DEC knew that populations of six species of threatened fauna live within the burn area. These are the mainland quokka, Western mud minnow, Balston’s Pygmy Perch, chuditch and black cockatoos.

The Minister for Environment, Hon Bill Marmion, speaking from advice supplied to him by DEC, provided answers in parliament on how these populations of threatened birds, ground dwelling animals, and fish were factored into the burn plan. In his answer the Minister said:

Guidance in managing fire relative to these species is provided by recovery plans, fire management guidelines and DEC's Warren Region nature conservation plan at a landscape level.

As we said in the summary document on the fire in Fly Brook forest, DEC’s $1.27 million fire fiasco, also on this webpage and outlined again below, DEC’s draft quokka recover plan specifically discusses the adverse effects that changed fire regimes have had and continue to have on the quokka.

The mainland quokka (Setonix brachyurus) is listed as “fauna that is likely to become extinct or is rare” in accordance with the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 (WA). It is also listed as “threatened fauna” under the national Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Quokka numbers have declined significantly since the 1930s with as few as 150 individuals remaining in the northern and central Jarrah forests (Hayward et al. 2003).

DEC’s draft recovery plan (de Tores and Williams 2010) states on p 1:

     Changing fire regimes, timber harvesting and urban development are likely to have negatively affected the distribution and size of quokka populations    (Dickman, 1996a; Kinnear et al., 2002; May and Norton, 1996).

It continues on p 9:

…high intensity and/or high frequency fires… have the potential to pose significant threats to quokka populations (de Tores et al, 2007).

And on p 10:

…this recover plan advocates proponents of any existing or proposed activities or actions should demonstrate any on-ground works (including harvesting, burning, firebreaks, road works, changes to drainage etc) in the immediate vicinity of quokka populations, known habitat and potential habitat, will not have an adverse effect on the species or on its habitat or potential habitat.

DEC’s draft recovery plan was completed in early 2010. It has since sat in limbo. It has not been circulated to the recovery team members or forwarded to senior DEC managers for endorsement. Despite having been paid for by the Commonwealth, it has not been forwarded to relevant Commonwealth representatives.

There is a significant lack of scientific understanding concerning the burning of Tingle forests. These forests grow only in the highest rainfall zone in the south west and are wet for much of the year. They are being burnt on a much shorter rotation than they would naturally burn with unknown consequences for flora, fauna and the function of the ecosystem as a whole.