1. Landscape fire planning
for Poplar Box grassy
woodlands project
BIODIVERSITY PRODUCTIVITY CARBON
This project aims to improve understanding of the role of fire as management tool in the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin.
Planning for adaptation in natural
resource management
www.qmdc.org.au also www.facebook.com/qmdc.nrm and www.twitter.com/qmdc
The project is:
• helping landholders make informed decisions about their use of fire
• supporting local knowledge with existing regionally relevant research
• pinpointing knowledge gaps for targeted research
• boosting landholder engagement and ownership of the project
Partners – EcoRich Grazing • Queensland Rural Fire Service • Mitchell and District Landcare • Maranoa Regional Landcare • GISERA • CSIRO • University of Queensland • Queensland Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation
and Arts • Queensland Department of Emergency Services • Queensland Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sports and Racing • Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines
MYRTLEVILLE
Injune
GLENDONELL
Injune
HAVELOCK
Mitchell

2. At a glance
5-year project – 2012 to 2017
Funded by the Australian Government and in kind support from partner agencies
6 demonstration sites covering 3,000ha
15 field events/workshops
20 property fire management plans
3 group landscape fire management plans over 300,000 ha
3 case studies
Long term goals
• To reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• To promote healthy, well managed, better protected Poplar Box Grassy Woodlands
• Fire is used to balance biodiversity, production and carbon outcomes
• To document knowledge of fire combining science with historic landholder use
• Landholders are resilient to climatic extremes
Working with landholders
Fire events both wild and planned can be infrequent– up to ten years or more apart – and little is known about fire dynamics in this region.
The knowledge that does exist, lies with land holders. This knowledge is not documented, there are gaps, and it’s unknown whether
current fire management practices stand up to the challenges associated with climate change in this landscape.
“Out here nobody is an island – you are inseparably
connected to someone else,” Ray Klein
‘Claravale’ Mitchell
“We’ve been here since 1962 and we’re still learning
about fire. The big thing with fire is you’re never too
old to learn, even though I’ve had years of what I call
experience – things are always changing and you’ve got
to keep up with change.” Ron Phillips
“A lot of our ecology has evolved around
fire” – Col Paton
“I have followed a 50 year regime – understock and burn,
I learnt it from all the neighbours really,” – Rick Whitton
“Because it’s so seasonal it’s a different thing each year”
Rosemary Johnson
“The best part of a fire plan is communication” – Ray Klein
BIODIVERSITY
www.qmdc.org.au also www.facebook.com/qmdc.nrm and www.twitter.com/qmdc
healthy landscapes
viable communities
WORKING TOGETHER

3. PRODUCTIVITY
www.qmdc.org.au also www.facebook.com/qmdc.nrm and www.twitter.com/qmdc
Contact your local QMDC Technical Officer: Toowoomba 07 4637 6200
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Mitchell
Mungallala
Injune
Mitchell
Mungallala
Injune
Demonstration site properties
Participating properties
Qld Murray-Darling Basin
Queensland
0 mm
2008 2009 2010
Mitchell Monthly Rainfall Variability (mm)
Mitchell Monthly Maximum
Temperature Variability (°c)
2011 2012 2013 2014
50 mm
100 mm
150 mm
200 mm
250 mm
300 mm
Actual
Rainfall
Above Avg.
Temperature
Below Avg.
Temperature
0 °c
10 °c
20 °c
30 °c
40 °c
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Normal
Rainfall
Images: 3 of 6 demonstrationsites
Images: 3 of 6 demonstration sites
The Maranoa region in southern inland Queensland is sub-tropical
and known for extreme variability of temperature and rainfall.
GLENDONELL
Injune
MYRTLEVILLE
Injune
CLARAVALE
Mitchell
healthy landscapes
viable communities
WORKING TOGETHER

4. Neighbours are working together
and knowledge is being shared
between experts and graziers at
the sites
The sites and field days are
helping inform land managers
and industry and link research
www.qmdc.org.au also www.facebook.com/qmdc.nrm and www.twitter.com/qmdc
Partners – EcoRich Grazing • Queensland Rural Fire Service • Mitchell and District Landcare • Maranoa Regional Landcare • GISERA • CSIRO • University of Queensland • Queensland Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation
and Arts • Queensland Department of Emergency Services • Queensland Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sports and Racing • Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines
History of fire use is critical to
creating fire strategies for the
groups and making decisions
about future fire management
challenges
Knowledge is being documented
leading to Fire Management
Guidelines for the local area
There is value is bringing people
together to build participation to
support long term adoption of
practice change for adaptation
and building resilience
Land managers are encouraged
to undertake monitoring and
recovery planning for fire
management to support capacity
for adaptation beyond the project.
Demonstration sites: The key to linking landholders with this project
Data is being collected on demonstration sites to interpret impact of fire on the environment and land condition.
These sites are central to the project. They are linking landholders with the project and supporting them in adapting
their fire management based on local, relevant examples
This project is being delivered by the Queensland Murray-Darling
Committee through funding from the Australian Government.
healthy landscapes
viable communities
WORKING TOGETHER
CARBON