Pastoralists' perspectives on the costs of widespread fires in the pastoral lands of the southern Northern Territory region of central Australia, 2000-2002

Abstract:

This report documents pastoralists’ perspectives on the costs of widespread fires in the pastoral lands of the southern Northern Territory region during 2000–2002. The research involved personal interviews and discussions with pastoralists representing 51 stations in central Australia. The majority of the direct costs of fire were associated with fire suppression activities and damage to infrastructure, but also included risk minimisation activities such as fire-break maintenance. A few pastoralists were also able to estimate some of their indirect costs, such as loss of pasture. The interviews and discussions also provided the opportunity to gather information on the benefits of fire management activities, such as pasture improvement and woody weed control. Additional economic information was collected from other available sources. It proved difficult to document fire-related costs for individual properties. In most cases, specific records were not kept and hazy memories were fading. Direct economic costs experienced by individual pastoral businesses due to the 2000–02 wildfires ranged from zero dollars (where properties remained sunburnt and unaffected by the wildfires) to more than $420 000. For one property badly affected by numerous wildfires over the entire wildfire period, additional costs due to lost potential production and stock turn-off were estimated at more than $2 million. Two contrasting case studies of individual properties are presented where post-fire rainfall was identified as a significant factor associated with the impact of fires, especially in relation to subsequent grazing and stock management. In the first case, infrastructure was damaged but good post-fire rainfall contributed to a positive pasture response in burnt areas which minimised production losses, whereas fire and the absence of post-fire rainfall in the second continued to affect grazing management for the next three years. The research work also provided the opportunity for pastoralists to identify areas of potential research and activities for better fire management. Recommendations: - Improve communications between all stakeholders to encourage greater community participation in regional-scale planning and increase awareness of both positive and negative effects of fire. - Encourage all land managers to record fire information immediately after fires so that information is not lost.