Our Preparing For Fire interactive workshop series is designed for communities on the urban-bushland fringe where the risk of bushfire is high and the bushland is important for wildlife conservation.
Through these workshops people become more aware of their local natural environment, the role of fire, and ways to better prepare for bushfires. Topics include fire behaviour, bushfire survival plans, house and property preparation, and fire ecology.
There is a strong emphasis on the shared responsibility that landowners and land managers in bushfire-affected areas have to plan carefully for bushfires. The workshops bring together landholders and local fire managers to develop a shared understanding of fire management planning and protection measures that best suit specific communities.
Upcoming Workshops
Check here for updates on upcoming workshops for 2024/25.
Previous Workshops
Heathcote Workshop 2024
On Sunday the 7th of July, the Bushfire Program ran a community based workshop on Preparing for Fire and Biodiversity in Heathcote, near Sydney. Members of the Sutherland Shire Bush Fire Management Committee (BFMC) recognised that many residents are interested in fire management and the protection of the local environment and threatened species (e.g. koalas). However, less was known about fire preparedness and how planned burns are carried out, while also protecting biodiversity. This workshop was developed by the Nature Conservation Council's Bushfire Program in collaboration with the NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS), National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) to address these concerns. Download the workshop report
Cooma North Ridge Reserve Workshop 2024
On Saturday the 6th of April 2024, the Bushfire Program ran a community based workshop on Preparing for Fire and Biodiversity on the Cooma North Ridge Reserve, near Canberra, at the Cooma Scout Hall. Despite ongoing rain, 30 residents and agencies came together to explore local fire and biodiversity management issues. The Friends of the North Ridge Reserve instigated the workshop and through the support of a Community Bush Fire Recovery Gran from the Snowy Monaro Regional Council (NSW Government) the Bushfire Program was able to deliver this half day workshop, bringing together local land managers, volunteers and neighbours. Download the workshop report
Kangaroo Valley Workshop 2022
On the 7th May 2022, the Bushfire Program ran a community based workshop on Fire, Biodiversity and Community: connecting people through nature. 30 people attended this peri-urban workshop, which was part of a series of community engagement events delivered in the 2019-2020 bushfire affected areas of Kangaroo Valley, Upper Kangaroo Valley and surrounds and represented a unique cross-agency collaboration of workshops facilitated by the NCC Bushfire Program and the Hotspots Fire Project. Download workshop report
Online Tools Training Webinar 2019
In June 2019, the Bushfire Program ran a training session for BFMC representatives, to demonstrate how to use online tools in their roles as NCC reps. This workshop focused on how to import NPWS fire history data into Google Earth Pro, how to download species sightings and systematic surveys from the data portal BioNet NSW, and how to use NSW Globe topographic data within Google Earth Pro. Download workshop report
Tathra Headland 2019
Following a major fire event in the Tathra/ Tarrangda region, the Bushfire Program hosted a Preparing for Fire workshop in Tathra in June 2019, as part of a broader engagement project across the region. Download workshop report
Crescent Head Hinterland 2019
On the 4th of June, 2019, the Bushfire Program ran a Fire and Biodiversity workshop with the Crescent Head community to increase residents' understanding of local biodiversity and fire and ecological land management practices. Download workshop report
Join our Fire and Restoration Network email list for upcoming workshops or visit the Fire and Restoration website to read about previous workshops.