Parks Victoria has extended its Grampians National Park bushfire fuel reduction burning program by a further two months, warning nature enthusiasts that sections of the Park may be closed at short notice.
Announcing the extension, Parks Victoria said the planned burns, which were expected to wrap up at the end of April, would carry on until June.
“Planned burning is a critical part of park management and reducing bushfire risk in the Grampians National Park,” Parks Victoria said.
“The right weather conditions are needed for a safe and effective burn – cool to warm temperatures, very little wind, no rain,” it said.
“We appreciate these are the same great conditions most people hope for when visiting a park.”
Parks Victoria said it could not give exact dates or times on when planned burning would occur because the burnings were so dependent on the right weather conditions.
It said the burns could be moved forward or backward or cancelled at short notice.
“We work year-round to prepare parks and reserves to reduce the potential impact of fire through planned burning and other fuel reduction,” it said.
“Fire is a natural part of the Australian environment.
“With lightning and indigenous burning practices having shaped our ecosystems over tens of thousands of years, many of our plants are reliant on bushfire to regenerate and maintain their health,” it said.
Parks Victoria said that in line with this, it also used planned ecological burning to support and develop biodiversity values in the Victoria’s parks.
