The Enhanced Bushfire Management Program (EBMP) was launched in the second half of 2011 by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). EBMP is funded by the NSW Climate Change Fund and enhanced by NSW Treasury and supports the largest land management agency in the State to reduce the likelihood of landscape scale fires impacting on its tenure and neighbours. EBMP is broken into two major themes, being increased fuel reduction works and rapid aerial response teams.

This paper focuses specifically on the EBMP activities of the Southern Ranges Region of the NPWS. This Region is quite significant in its landscape and fire history. Southern Ranges staff manage the iconic Kosciuszko National Park and more than 70 other smaller parks and reserves. Kosciuszko National Park is significant because it forms part of the Australian Alps and contains both the highest terrain on the Australian mainland as well as much of the alpine and sub alpine flora and fauna of Eastern Australia.

The Australian Alps have been identified by the scientific community as one of the most vulnerable environmental communities due to climate change. One of the largest threats posed is the increased frequency and intensity of bushfire impact to the higher elevation areas, where fire is historically an infrequent visitor.

Since engaging its team of 12 staff, comprising two five-member field crews, a supervisor and a technical specialist, the SRR EBMP crew have become one of the success stories of program. The paper will discuss the successful outcomes of the field program, including the establishment and maintenance program of asset protection zones around heritage and environmental assets and the substantial increase in targeted fuel reduction burning.

Given the frequency of lightning caused fires within the Australian Alps and surrounding remote forested areas, Southern Ranges Region has become one of the major participating regions of the Rapid Aerial Response Team (RART) program. This cooperative program with the NSW Rural Fire Service provides funding for pre placement of well equipped helicopters staffed with local remote area fire crews. During the 2012/13 and 13/14 fire seasons, Southern Ranges have deployed RART aircraft on more than 10 occasions, with all fires being kept to less than five hectares. Lessons learned from this very successful program are discussed.

The presentation comprises a combination of photos and video combined with a discussion of the program outcomes, highlights and lessons learned.