Strategic Fuel Breaks Program

Program background

Strengthening and expanding Victoria’s network of Strategic Fuel Breaks is one of the key actions that form DEECA’s Advanced Forest and Fire Management strategy, designed to reduce the risk and impacts of more frequent, intense and damaging bushfires under a changing climate.

Fuel breaks are critical to protecting communities, catchments and the environment from devastation by bushfire. They do this by making it easier, faster and safer for firefighters to suppress fires.

As a last resort, they can also assist in reducing the intensity of direct fire on houses and other buildings.

The Victorian government has invested $35 million to deliver 1,447km of Strategic Fuel Breaks across Victoria by July 2023. These will be in the highest priority locations, close to townships, key assets, water catchments and sensitive environments, and in parts of the landscape where we want to reduce the size of fires.

Why is the Victorian Government investing in Strategic Fuel Breaks?

The Victorian Auditor-General's Office (VAGO) audit into Reducing Bushfire Risk and the Inspector General for Emergency Management’s (IGEM) Inquiry into the 2019-20 Victorian Fire Season highlighted the strength of Victoria’s approach to managing bushfires and bushfire risk on public land. They recommended that Victoria both expand this approach and integrate it on private land to respond to the changing fire conditions.

The Victorian Government is taking the time to get this new approach right – while promptly acting on key recommendations that need to be implemented ahead of this fire season.

The investment will support Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) to lead this response, strengthening and expanding the network of fuel breaks across Victoria to respond to the immediate challenges caused by climate change and better prepare Victoria for future fires.

What are Strategic Fuel Breaks?

Strategic Fuel Breaks are a strip of land where vegetation has been permanently modified to reduce the rate of spread and intensity of fire for the direct protection of assets and/or assist fire control.

The last line of defence for the direct protection of communities and assets

Firefighters need to be able to move safely and seamlessly to carry out backburning operations to contain the spread of fires before they reach communities and assets.

Depending on their purpose, Strategic Fuel Breaks are fuel reduced areas up to 40 m wide that, once established, resemble open grassy wood or heath lands. They involve the permanent reduction of bushy vegetation through mulching and slashing, and the removal of hazardous trees and impediments to maintenance such as stumps, logs and branches.

Watch this video to learn more about Strategic Fuel Breaks and see how they're protecting communities in Victoria's Otway region.

What benefits will this deliver?

The bushfire management measures will:

• provide increased protection to communities, environment and assets
• improve access and egress of firefighting resources contributing towards suppression effectiveness and efficiency
• enable firefighters to move seamlessly to undertake backburning operations to contain the spread of fires before they reach communities and assets.
• support jobs and economic recovery in regional areas
• respond to more frequent, intense and damaging bushfires under a rapidly changing climate
• reduce costs and damages as assessed in previous large-scale bushfire events.

What is the difference between a landscape protection break and an asset protection break?

The Strategic Fuel Break program is utilising two types of protection breaks in their work.

Landscape protection breaks (LPB)

Located in the forest to divide the landscape into units/areas suitable to help to reduce the fire to the smallest size possible. These breaks provide a platform for fighting fires in the forest and may also reduce fire impacts on nearby communities.

Before landscape protection break

After landscape protection break

Landscape protection break diagram key:

• Track-Road
• Verge
• Maintained ground veg
• Untreated ground veg
• Hazardous tree
• Diagram not to scale. Hadazardous trees beyond the break area that do not pose a risk to firefighter safety will be retained.

Asset protection breaks (APB)

Designed to provide direct protections of communities and assets from the direct impacts of fire. These breaks are generally located adjacent to townships and assets.

• Simple (constructed track)
• Hazardous trees removed
• Up to 50–70% canopy and stumps removed
• 40m modified zone
• Treated annually

Unmanaged edge

Asset protection break (side view)

Asset protection break (top view)

Diagram key:

• Track or slashed line
• Treated ground veg
• Untreated ground veg
• Hazardous tree
• Retained trees

Where will Strategic Fuel Breaks be delivered?

Construction and upgrade of Strategic Fuel Breaks are taking place across Victoria. In 2022–23, 173 km of breaks will be delivered completing a 1,447 km network of Strategic Fuel Breaks across the state.

The Strategic Fuel Breaks program uses fire science, bushfire history, community knowledge and environmental and cultural values to plan the location of breaks. We balance the protection of biodiversity and the need to preserve public land for the use and enjoyment of all community members, with the risk that large and intense fires pose to community safety and the environment.

The first tranche of work completed across 2020–21 delivered 542 km of breaks, including upgrading 257 km of the Cowwarr-Bruthen break in Gippsland. The second tranche of work undertaken within 2021–22 delivered a further 741 km of breaks. This included finalising the Otway District network, which comprised of 35 km of asset protection breaks around the townships of Lorne, Aireys Inlet, and Anglesea.

What criteria are used to choose a location for a Strategic Fuel Break?

The Strategic Fuel Break locations undergo a process of analysis, data validation and consultation before being prioritised on the basis of their value in assisting firefighters to reduce the spread of future bushfires and feasibility.

These fuel breaks will be prioritised against a criterion to ensure the selected locations provide the greatest risk reduction to landscapes and assets, whilst considering impacts on species diversity, cultural heritage and tenure.