Fed: Don't blame forests for bushfires: academic

AAP General News (Australia)
02-12-2009
Fed: Don't blame forests for bushfires: academic

An international expert says the management of Victoria's forests is NOT to blame for
this week's devastating bushfires.

There've been claims the fires were worsened by a lack of seasonal burn-offs .. and
by too much forest being locked up in reserves.

But PETER KANOWSKI .. professor of forestry at the Australian National University ..

says the wet eucalypt forests which dominate northeast of Melbourne are not suitable for
fuel reduction burns.

Professor KANOSWKI .. who's advised state and federal governments on minimising fire
risks .. says a key issue is the use of treeless buffer zones between homes and forests.

And he says tighter rules for building design .. and planning codes which ban building
in some fire-prone areas .. might be a better way to minimise fires than changing forest
practices.

AAP RTV ca/kms/rt

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES VIC FORESTS (CANBERRA)

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