FARMERS and others are asking why National Parks is conducting a hazard reduction burn in the the Tarlo River National Park in February, one of the hottest and driest months of the year.
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They are also questioning why nobody told them about it beforehand, considering the size of the burn is 500ha and that it sent plumes of smoke across two major roadways.
On Thursday afternoon, the Goulburn Post received calls and social media messages from farmers and motorists asking the newspaper what was causing the large plumes of smoke travelling across the Taralga and Crookwell Roads.
Journalists thought they may have a bushfire on their hands and started making enquiries with the Rural Fire Service, who told them it was a controlled burn being conducted by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
The newspaper immediately put out a message online to update residents about what was causing the smoke.
Farmer Wal Ashton, from the property "Tyrol", near Taralga told the Post on Friday he was annoyed at the lack of communication.
"There was a lot of smoke. It was quite dramatic. I had to call up people to find out what was going on," Mr Ashton said.
"I thought it was pretty gutsy of them to be burning off at the beginning of February. If you burn a lot it can smoulder for up to 3-4 weeks. Then all you need is a heatwave and you have a big fire out of control.
"A recent burn off in Tasmania went horrible wrong that way. I remember some years ago lighting a fire at my property in October to burn off and I know just how explosive these things can get. There is an incredible amount of fuel on the forest floor at the moment and if these burns got away in this rugged country they could be very difficult to control.
"The area is so remote that NPWS staff have to shoot feral animals from helicopters and the trouble with that is because the canopy is so thick they can't get a clean shot so they force the feral animals through farmers' fences and then we have to fix the fences. Don't start me on the National Parks and Wildlife Service..."
Hazard reduction
On Friday, a spokesperson from NPWS confirmed the Highlands office of the NSW NPWS were conducting the hazard reduction burn in the Tarlo River National Park, north of Brayton.
The spokesperson said the department they put out a media release about the fire at 12.24pm on Thursday.
They said NPWS also contacted the landholders in the immediate area to the operation by mailbox drop and phone call and liaised with the local Rural Fire Service.
"It is also listed on the NPWS webpage as an alert for Tarlo River National Park, on the Rural Fire Service website and on the "fires near me" app," the spokesperson said.
They said the burn is one of hazard reduction burns planned and signed off by the local Bushfire Management Committee.
"These burns can only be undertaken when prescribed weather conditions present themselves and NPWS is ready to undertake them when this occurs," the spokesperson said.
"Planning for this hazard reduction burning has occurred over a number of months. This has included constructing control lines and setting various parameters for weather and vegetation conditions.
"Recent rain and current stable conditions enabled us to undertake the burn this week. The hazard reduction burn commenced on Thursday and so far is behaving as predicted."
The spokesperson said ground crews are patrolling and blacking out the perimetre along the containment lines to control the burn and this is supported by a helicopter.
Meanwhile, NPWS Area Manager Graham Bush said the burn was part of many hazard reduction operations undertaken by NPWS across NSW each year.
"Given the relatively mild conditions at the moment, the burning operation in the Tarlo River National Park will involve around 500 ha in the south western area of the park," Mr Bush said.
"These burns will add to areas burnt in previous seasons in adjoining areas and will not only assist in reducing fuels they will also have ecological benefits.
"If the weather conditions permit, we will continue our hazard reduction burning program in Morton National Park and the Budderoo National Park over the next couple of months.
"We will continue to provide updates to the community on the size and location of planned burns and any associated road or track closures."