Cultural fire strategy
The importance of cultural fire, and the vision of Traditional Owners for the use of fire on Country to bring health to the land and people, is set out in the Victorian Traditional Owner Cultural Fire Strategy1.
In recognition of the wide range of land and fire management objectives that can be achieved through cultural burning (including the reduction of fuels and bushfire risk), FFMVic and CFA support Traditional Owners to plan and deliver cultural burns nominated and approved for inclusion on the JFMP.
There are a diversity of ways Traditional Owner groups want to use cultural fire and undertake land management. DEECA, continues to build partnerships with Traditional Owner groups to deliver cultural burning on public land, build capacity through the Cultural Fire Grants Program, and provide operational support for implementation of The Victorian Traditional Owner Cultural Fire Strategy.
The CFA is working with Traditional Owner groups and First Nations communities to enable more cultural fire, linking in with The Victorian Traditional Owner Cultural Fire Strategy with the CFA Koori Inclusion Action Plan.
Cultural burning activity
In 2023-24, FFMVic and CFA supported cultural burns led by a range of Traditional Owner groups:
- Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation
- Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation
- Duduroa Dhargal Aboriginal Corporation
- Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation
- Eastern Maar
- First People of the Millewa Mallee
- Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation
- Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation
- Tati Tati Corporation
- Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation
- Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.
Cultural burns nominated by Traditional Owners or other parties for inclusion on the JFMP undergo a review process where each proposed burn is evaluated and potentially adjusted, in consultation with the nominator, to ensure feasibility. This review results in the list of 'burns approved', which enables further work between fire agencies and Traditional Owners to progress burns towards a deliverable stage.
‘Burns delivered’ reflects the number of approved burns that have been completed within the financial year. However, not all approved burns are delivered immediately. Factors such as unsuitable weather conditions, capacity, and resourcing may delay implementation. Burns that are not completed remain on the JFMP as ‘ready to be delivered’ and are prioritised when conditions and resources allow.
The ‘operations completed’ metric, while similar to ‘burns delivered,’ provides a more detailed account of the support FFMVic and CFA offer to Traditional Owner groups in delivering cultural burns. Each burn may involve multiple operational days, each counted as a separate operation, providing a clearer metric of the investment made by the fire agencies in supporting these culturally significant burns.
In 2023-24, Traditional Owners nominated 126 cultural burns for inclusion in the JFMP, 95 on public land and 31 on private land. This was a 21% increase from the 104 cultural burns nominated in 2022-23.
Of these, 69 were approved and 36 delivered (FFMVic – 29; CFA – 7). This represents a 56% increase in the number of cultural burns FFMVic and CFA supported the delivery of compared to 2022-23.
The other 33 approved cultural burns remain on the JFMP and FFMVic and CFA will support their delivery as conditions and resourcing permit.
Table 5 provides an overview of the number of Traditional Owner led cultural burns nominated, approved and delivered with the support of FFMVic and the CFA from 2021-22 to 2023-24.
Table 5: Number of Traditional Owner led burns nominated, approved and delivered with the support of Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) and the Country Fire Authority (CFA), 2021-22 to 2023-24.
Agency | Number of activities in the JFMP | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FFMVic | Burns nominated | 83 | 82 | 95 |
| Burns approved | n/a | n/a | 64 | |
| Burns delivered | 13 | 20 | 29 | |
| Operations completed | n/a | 26 | 34 | |
| CFA | Burns nominated | 21 | 22 | 31 |
| Burns approved and listed as ready | 5 | 3 | 5 | |
| Burns delivered | 1 | 3 | 7 | |
| Operations completed | n/a | n/a | 10 |
FFMVic supporting new Traditional Owner partnerships in cultural burning
While we often measure the success of the cultural burning program by the number of cultural burns delivered, one of the other important factors is the number of Traditional Owner Groups (TOGs) partnering with FFMVic to deliver these burns. Last year 3 new TOGs delivered their first burn partnering with FFMVic on public land: Bunurong; First People Millewa Mallee; and Tati Tati.
Bunurong
Bunurong approached DEECA in late 2023 with the aim of reintroducing fire into the landscape across Arthurs Seat, a significant cultural site for Bunurong people. Country was telling Bunurong Traditional Owners that fire was required to help stimulate cultural food plants that had long been lost across the Mornington Peninsula. Bunurong Land Council, DEECA and Parks Victoria identified cultural burn and land management objectives prior to the burn being nominated for delivery in 2024. Since then, Bunurong Tarbuk Biik Rangers have delivered two operations in the same block, in both autumn and spring. More burns are planned along this spiritual landscape. DEECA has also provided Bunurong Strong Country Rangers with General Firefighter, Trim & Crosscut, and 4x4 training, as well as providing equipment.
Tati Tati
Since 2021, Tati Tati has been working with DEECA to build its cultural burn program and providing skills and training opportunities for the Tati Tati Kaiejin crew. After thorough assessment, Margooya Lagoon was chosen due to the cultural significance of the area and complementary land management works that Tati Tati had completed at the site. A small, suitable area was agreed upon, and FFMVic worked with the Kaiejin crew to prepare the site for the right conditions to burn.
Unfortunately, in 2022 the area was impacted by a flood event that left it underwater for an extended period. FFMVic worked with Tati Tati and identified a new location within Rifle Range - Gadsens Bend. This area was chosen due to the extensive cultural heritage throughout Gadsens Bend. The main objectives of this burn were to treat invasive weeds, reduce biomass, and allow native grasses to flourish once again. These grassland burns allowed for the planning of multiple operations targeting the area over consecutive years, with scope for a long-term cultural fire strategy. The first operation was completed in 2023 and the second in 2024.
The burn was completed in partnership with Tati Tati, DEECA, Parks Victoria, and Wadi Wadi members. After the burn, FFMVic was advised that 'the cultural indicators that Tati observed during these burns were very special, such as the 40 whistling kites that were hunting whilst we delivered the burn. Seeing the native flora and fauna revival, as well as the cultural significance within our mob, has been special and given us confidence to move forward within the cultural fire space.'
First People of Millewa Mallee
During 2023, the First People of Millewa Mallee (FPMM) employed their Cultural Fire Ranger. Over the past 12 months, FFMVic has worked closely with FPMM, conducting a range of site visits to identify locations that align with their objectives.
It was important for FPMM that their first burn was close to Mildura to involve other FPMM employees as well as Elders. A location northwest of Merbein was chosen in the Wargan Bushland Reserve. FPMM worked closely with FFMVic throughout the extensive planning process, learning valuable mapping and planning skills, including the use of DEECA's Fuel Management System (FMS) and EMap.
FPMM reflected that 'it has been a rewarding process to learn these skills within fire management and put them to use to plan and deliver our first burn and reach our objectives for our mob.' The objective for the burn was to manage invasive species and allow native grasses to flourish. The FPMM crew prepared the site by completing slash breaks with their tractor and slasher and raking around trees to exclude them from the burn.
In 2024, in partnership with FFMVic (including both DEECA and Parks Victoria staff), FPMM completed their first burn with roughly 15 FPMM employees present.
CFA Case Study
Reintroducing cultural burning to Ryans Lagoon - A partnership between CFA and Duduroa Dhargal Aboriginal Corporation
Over the past 2 years CFA has been working with Duduroa Dhargal Aboriginal Corporation (DDAC) to support their ongoing efforts to protect and enhance the Ryans Lagoon Conservation Reserve, located east of Wodonga.
DDAC have identified this area as not only having high flora and fauna values, but also significant cultural values for the Duduroa Dhargal people. DDAC Elders have been working at the site for the past few years carrying out a range of pest plant and animal activities and working with the Catchment Management Authority to support the delivery of environmental water. However, the one thing they really wanted to see reintroduced into this site was cultural burning. A Duduroa Dhargal Elder explains that 'without fire, you can't manage land - it's a life giver'.
The CFA and FFMVic originally met with DDAC to discuss how they could support them to reintroduce fire back into the lagoon and surrounding areas. Given the land tenure, CFA took on the lead role, with FFMVic staff involved in a support capacity to assist DDAC and CFA as required.
Local CFA staff worked with DDAC to better understand their goals for the site and not only plan the burn, but to break the burn down into smaller, manageable operations. This allowed DDAC flexibility to deliver multiple operations over different seasons, so they could meet a range of cultural outcomes.
After many months of meetings, site visits and planning, the CFA were proud to be able to partner with DDAC to reintroduce fire at this important site on 11 April 24 This will be the first of many burns planned for this site, with CFA constantly trying to provide the flexibility required to meet DDAC’s vision for this culturally important site.
CFA considers their involvement in supporting cultural burning as a privilege and a key opportunity to experience and learn the values and intricacies of cultural burning and working alongside Traditional Owners and indigenous people in caring for Country and maintaining and strengthening living culture.
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