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Disaster Averted? How green firebreaks could shield Hobart

Held on the 28th Mar 2019

at 6pm to
7:30pm


Add to Calendar 2019-03-28 18:00:00 2019-03-28 19:30:00 Australia/Sydney Disaster Averted? How green firebreaks could shield Hobart

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A Keynote Address by Dr Tim Curran

To be followed by a panel discussion

Could so-called green firebreaks - strips of low flammability plant-life - protect Hobart from a bushfire disaster? Dr Tim Curran, Senior Lecturer in Ecology at Lincoln University in New Zealand, is a world authority on green firebreaks and is leading a global review of their effectiveness. He and his research group have been measuring shoot flammability on a wide range of plants to identify appropriate species to be used in green firebreaks.

Green Firebreak Smaller

Dr Curran will be joined by a panel including:

  • Justin Leonard, Research Leader of Bushfire Urban Design, CSIRO. Mr Leonard is the Australian authority on bushfire risk and infrastructure.
  • Jane Cawson, Fire Behaviour and Management Specialist, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne. Dr Cawson researches fire management in wet eucalyptus forests, including planned burning and green firebreaks.
  • John Fisher, Program Leader of the Fire and Biodiversity Bushland and Reserves Unit, Hobart City Council. Mr Fisher's national expertise in fire management has been gained through working in NSW, the ACT and Tasmania.
  • Jamey Furlaud, PhD student, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania. Mr Furlaud is currently undertaking a PhD project into the intersection of climate and flammability of wet eucalyptus forests.

Facilitated by Professor David Bowman, Director, Fire Centre Research Hub.

Refreshments from 5.30pm.

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Logo of LivestreamThis event will be broadcast live through the University's Livestream channel - https://livestream.com/universityoftasmania. You can watch live or at a later date.