In the wake of Australia’s unprecedented 2019/2020 summer fires, Climateworks Australia Chair and former Deputy Premier John Thwaites spoke to Virginia Trioli on ABC Melbourne Mornings about his experience as Victoria’s Environment Minister. During that time a fire burnt much of Wilsons Promontory, the result of a fuel reduction burn that escaped as a result of warm and windy weather.
It really focussed attention on the dangers of fuel reduction burning given the change in our weather, given that we’re getting more of these hot and windy days in autumn.
Professor Thwaites emphasised the impact climate change is having on fuel reduction burns.
These fuel reduction burns are very important but they are limited in their ability to be lit during times when it is too warm or too windy, and with climate change we are seeing more warm and windy weather in the autumn and spring periods.