Dampier Peninsula Fire Working Group

Rangelands NRM is coordinating the Dampier Peninsula Fire Working Group, which brings together Traditional Owners, ranger groups, government agencies, not for profit organisations and the pastoral and resources industries to collaboratively work to improve fire management regimes on the Dampier Peninsula. The project is supported by funding from the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program.

Good or ‘right way’ fire management is vital for the protection of natural resources, ecosystems and biodiversity, including threatened flora and fauna such as the bilby and monsoonal vine thicket (MVT), and supports both cultural and economic livelihoods on the peninsula.

Rangelands NRM supports both fire management and MVT through the National Landcare Program.

The project has four key deliverables:

• Dampier Peninsula Fire Management Taskforce (co-operative approach to burning on the peninsula)
• Enhance community awareness of fire management on the Dampier Peninsula
• Building fire management capacity on the Dampier Peninsula
• Improved use of science, knowledge and monitoring in fire management on the Dampier Peninsula

The project initially commenced in 2017, with grant funding successfully obtained in 2019 for the employment of a Project Coordinator for a further two year period. Significant progress towards the project’s KPIs regarding improvement of burning practices and building fire management capacity has already been made.