Hazard Reduction Burning and Grape Growing

Following on from the 2019 /2020 bushfires, NSW Wine has been working with the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) on an agreement and strong communication platform between the NSW wine industry and the relevant parties. The hope is that all parties can work together to minimise the impact of fire and smoke on wine grapes.

An agreed Communications Protocol is now in place at a whole of State level to allow local wine regional bodies to engage at the local level with their RFS area command centres on schedule burns and hazard reduction activities, with an aim to minimise the potential impacts on wine grape crops, but at all times keeping in mind that community safety is a priority.

NSW Wine has also arranged for the following information and data for NSW RFS:

• The latest impacts and knowledge on the effects of smoke on wine grapes has been forwarded to NSW RFS to update their knowledge. A virtual seminar to district managers was also presented last year.
• The GAIA mapping data for all vineyards within NSW will be uploaded into the RFS mapping systems, so the location of vineyards can be identified
• The approximate timings of risk for periods to wine grapes in each NSW region.

NSW Wine has agreed to utilise the attached communications protocol as a blueprint for each wine region to work with their local RFS Area Command and RFS Fire Control Centres to set up formal communications.

You can download the new Communications Protocol via NSW Wine’s website HERE.

NSW Wine is urging all wine region representative bodies to utilise the framework, complete the document with their local region contacts, and keep it on file. They recommend that contact is made with local NSW RFS Fire Control Centres to establish local region key contacts for planning meetings, dealing with hazard reduction burns, as well as pre-season briefings and post-season reviews.

The list of NSW RFS Fire Control Centres is available via this link: https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/about-us/contact-us/fcc

You can check all upcoming hazard reduction burns via this link: https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/hazard-reductions

Both the NSW RFS and the NSW Wine agree that effective local communication is the key to achieving good local outcomes.

• Topics:

• Agriculture
• Wine / Viticulture
• Bushfires