A new overarching fire management plan for Kangaroo Island parks has been drafted by National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia (NPWS) and is now open for public comment .

The plan amalgamates four fire management plans (Cape Forbin, Cape Gantheaume, Dudley Peninsula, and Flinders Chase) into one for the whole island.

The draft is part of reforms NPWS has put in place since the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20.

It has been informed by the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements, and Independent Review into South Australia's 2019-20 Bushfire Season by former Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty AO.

The new and improved risk-based approach ensures risk assessments align to international standards and National Emergency Risk Assessment Guidelines. 

The independent review recognised these reforms as a significant improvement.

Fire management plans guide activities in national parks, setting priorities about where, how, and why we need to act to reduce the risk of bushfire, and to manage the environment and cultural heritage of the state.

Department for Environment and Water Fire Management Director Fiona Gill says public consultation will allow all stakeholders to put forward their views.

“This draft Parks of Kangaroo Island Fire Management Plan considers local knowledge and lived experiences, which helps to make this plan a robust one,” she says.

“The latest fire science, knowledge and computer-based tools have also been used to make the draft plan more effective, more evidence-based and in line with national best practice.”

NPWS is inviting comment between up until Monday 7 August via YourSay.