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Australia's National Wildlife Rescue Hotline Wildlife Rescue Australia (WRA) is an Australia-wide, specialist volunteer organisation dedicated to the rescue of native animals. The Call Centre is staffed (at any one time) by up to 10 or more home-based, volunteer phone coordinators located anywhere in Australia. They use the search engine Map Maker to generate a Google-type map for each rescue. The map shows the location and details of the animal to be rescued, together with nearby rescuers, carers, vet clinics etc, even tree climbers and chimney sweeps, i.e. any person or organisation who may be able to assist in a rescue. Any one of thousands individuals or organisations can be contacted by phone, email or text within seconds of a call being accepted, with a few clicks of a mouse. WRA Phone: 1300 596 457 Call the 24-hour Call Centre to report a sick, injured or orphaned animal The Centre is available 24 hrs/day, 365 days per year. Find out more: www.wildliferescue.net.au

19 February 2023 Australian Bushfire Help Fires Near Me NSW is now called Hazards Near Me NSW. The app shows bush fire information and warnings, provided by the NSW Rural Fire Service on behalf of all fire services and land managers. Flood information is provided by the NSW State Emergency Service. You can find current information about local emergencies on Hazards Near Me. The app shows information provided from emergency services on: bush fires floods advice on what to do to stay safe. The app also provides other warnings and activities in your area: fire danger ratings total fire bans hazard reduction activities. The app can send you push notifications when there are new incidents or when information changes. The icons show the location of fires and floods. The colours of the icons represent the different warning levels under the Australian Warning System, a nationally consistent three-level warning framework. The warning levels are: Advice - There is no immediate danger. Stay up to date in case the situation changes. Watch & Act - There is a heightened level of threat. Conditions are changing and you need to start taking action now to protect you and your family. Emergency Warning - An emergency warning is the highest level of an alert. You may be in danger and need to take action immediately. Any delay now puts your life at risk. The app also shows bush fire incidents in other states near the NSW border. You can find out more about the icons in 'Map Legend' in the Hazards Near Me NSW app. Fires Near Me Australia smartphone app Providing fire information from participating fire and emergency service authorities across Australia. For more information: https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/news-and-media/stay-up-to-date

The Bushfire Recovery Team, Conservation Volunteers Australia, 14 January 2022 Here are some volunteer opportunities in the Blue Mountains NSW to help with bushfire recovery efforts following the Black Summer Bushfires of 2020-2021. In the 2019-20 fire season, the Gospers Mountain Fire complex destroyed the homes of numerous threatened species and resulted in the loss of millions of animals in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, including the Grose Valley and Barrington Tops. This project will restore important habitat through weed control, citizen science. wildlife surveys (and monitoring) and nest box construction. This project is made possible through the Landcare Led Bushfire Recovery Grants Program and is supported by National Parks and Wildlife Service NSW and the Australian Government’s Bushfire Recovery Program for Wildlife and their Habitat. Opportunities available through January, February, March & April. Grose Valley Click here to get involved Barrington Tops Click here to get involved

Central Coast Council NSW Grant Finder 27 August 2021 Overview This program seeks to help communities address priorities for recovery and resilience and support the recovery efforts of communities in eligible Local Government Areas (LGAs) affected by the 2019-20 bushfires. The objectives of the program are to: - Support recovery and resilience of communities impacted by the 2019-20 bushfires. - Build stronger communities by supporting social, economic and built environment recovery. Grants between $20,000 and $10 million are available. The grant amount will be up to 100% of eligible project expenditure (grant percentage). A funding envelope has been allocated to each eligible LGA to ensure all LGAs have the opportunity to receive funding. Each eligible LGA has been assigned to one of two categories based on the impact of the bushfires on the LGA: - Category 1: A funding envelope of up to $4.5 million per LGA. - Category 2: A funding envelope of up to $1.6 million per LGA. The highest ranked project(s) in each LGA will be recommended for funding until the funding envelope is reached. Projects may not receive the full grant amount requested. Please refer to the Guidelines for more information on the allocation of funding. A total funding pool of $276.428 million is available over three years from 2021-22 to 2023-24. Who Can Apply? Eligible applicants must: - Have an Australian Business Number (ABN). - Be one of the following entities: a) An entity incorporated in Australia b) A company limited by guarantee c) An incorporated association d) An incorporated not for profit organisation e) A non-distributive co-operative f) An incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust g) An Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 h) An Australian local governing agency or body as defined in Section 15 (for example, a council) i) An Australian Capital Territory government agency or body Joint applications are acceptable, provided they have a lead organisation who is the main driver of the project and is eligible to apply. Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete eligibility requirements. Eligible Activities Eligible projects must: - Be aimed at supporting community recovery or resilience from the 2019-20 bushfires. - Be delivered in one or more eligible LGAs listed in Appendix A in the Guidelines. - Include eligible activities consistent with project activities. - Have at least $20,000 in eligible expenditure. - Address one or more of the following kinds of recovery or resilience needs: a) Social recovery and resilience b) Economic recovery and resilience c) Recovery and resilience of the built environment - Satisfy one or more of the following criteria in order to receive funding: a) Address an urgent and unmet need resulting directly from the 2019-20 bushfires. b) Enhance the cultural life of the community. c) Preserve or increase employment. d) Help to mitigate climate-related risk and damage. e) Address the health impacts of the bushfires. f) Benefit of Indigenous people or communities. g) Protect or promote interstate and overseas trade and commerce, such as tourism related activities or rebuilding infrastructure between states and territories to facilitate commercial activities. h) Be delivered through a relevant communications service such as a the delivery of an online counselling service or business advisory service to local businesses affected by the bushfires. Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete list of eligible projects/expenditure. Main Assessment Criteria The main assessment criteria include: - How the project will assist in community recovery from the 2019-20 bushfires. - Capacity, capability and resources to deliver the project. Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete list of the assessment criteria. Restrictions The following are ineligible for funding: - Individual - Partnership - Trust (however, an incorporated trustee may apply on behalf of a trust) - Purchase and installation of manufacturing equipment - Ongoing operating costs, including utilities - Business case development and feasibility studies - Costs related to registered training organisation training activities - Writing the application and reporting for the grant - Making donations, gifts and sponsorships Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete list of restrictions. Click here for more information & to apply

National Recovery and Resilience Agency 2 July 2021 The guidelines for the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants program were released on 1 July 2021 by Minister for Emergency Management David Littleproud MP. You can find the announcement here - LINK TO MEDIA RELEASE The guidelines for the grants are available on the Business Grants Hub website at https://business.gov.au/bsbr The program will support a range of projects in eligible Local Government Areas (LGAs) affected by the 2019-20 bushfires to address community recovery and resilience needs. The criteria are broad and the program has been designed to be as simple and flexible as possible to allow communities to identify and implement projects that make sense to them. Applications for the program will be open for submission on 22 July 2021 and close on 2 September 2021. There are also applicant support workshops (in person and online) available to help for people who would like some help with the application process. For more information on the BSBR grants and the applicant support workshops, head to the National Recovery and Resilience Agency’s website at https://recovery.gov.au/black-summer-grants To read the guidelines and a preview application form visit the Business Grants Hub website at https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/black-summer-bushfire-recovery-grant If you have a question, you can call the Business Grants Hub hotline on 13 28 46.

Blue Mountains Economic Enterprise in partnership with Blue Mountains City Council REGISTER NOW FOR AUSTRALIA'S ONLY NATIONAL BUSHFIRE BUILDING EVENT The 2021 Australian Bushfire Building Conference is postponed from 25-27 August to 1-3 November 2021. The 2021 Australian Bushfire Building Conference is the annual must-attend event for building industry professionals, researchers and planners to learn from bushfire building experts in the field, network with one another and keep up-to-date with the latest research, regulations, and technologies. The theme in 2021 is “Addressing the tensions: Are we getting the balance right?“ This year the 7th annual conference will be a ‘hybrid’ event with a live and in-person conference hub in the Blue Mountains, NSW plus a virtual component through a dedicated conference platform which will run simultaneously. Delegates are encouraged to attend in-person to network with like-minded professionals, take part in important discussions, contribute to the economic growth of a bushfire impacted region, and experience the collective wisdom of other industry professionals. This is a COVID-19 Safe event and will go ahead while adhering to the 2 person per square metre requirements or the current COVID-19 regulations at the time. Registration costs: Live, In-person Conference: $440 Virtual Conference: $220 BPAD Forum: $200 Networking Dinner at The Lookout Echo Point: $132 Visit the website for more information: https://bushfireconference.com.au

by Bushfire & Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre 21 January 2021 For the last eight years, the main priority of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC has been to provide useful, high quality, needs-based research through partnerships with universities, emergency service agencies, international research organisations, government departments and non-government groups. The aim is to drive changes in the way Australia prepares for, manages and responds to natural hazards. The CRC has created Driving Change – an online resource that collects and curates the best and latest research from across the eight years of the CRC’s research program. Driving Change highlights the CRC’s partnerships by collecting and presenting all research into 10 themes according to how the research is now being used by emergency services, government and the community. The 10 themes are disaster resilience; economics, mitigation and value; education and communications; extreme weather; fire predictive services; future workforce; Indigenous initiatives; infrastructure and impact; managing the landscape; and policy, political engagement and influence. Each Driving Change theme page is a presentation of the key findings and achievements of CRC research. From those theme pages, visitors to the site are given curated access to online tools, inspiring case studies of research in action and a selection of the best news, resources and publications, culminating in a collection of all relevant research projects relating to that theme. Click here to read the full article

BBC News 26 February 2021 The new Western River Refuge on Kangaroo Island was launched on 26 February by South Australian Minister for Environment and Water, David Speirs, securing a critical haven for ecosystem bushfire recovery on the island. The Western River Refuge, an Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC), Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife (KI LfW) and private landholder jointly managed property, now protects over 369 hectares of critical habitat for threatened species. The refuge is also helping save Australia’s most endangered mammal, the Kangaroo Island Dunnart. The partnership between AWC, KI LfW and local landholders (the Doube family) constructed the 8.8km long feral-predator fence in the Western River area of Kangaroo Island. The Kangaroo Island dunnart was already critically endangered when its habitat was ravaged by Australia's bushfires last year. Now ecologists are desperate to protect the "cryptic and mysterious" marsupial. The BBC visited Kangaroo Island to learn more. Click here to watch this video Video by Simon Atkinson, BBC News

Mobile phones are an increasingly useful tool, as more apps are designed that can help you to plan before an emergency and also can help you during one. ABC News 22 December 2020 ABC News have curated a list of apps and tips that might be handy if disaster strikes and conditions are less than ideal. "The best time to do your planning is well before an emergency event happens." Click here to view the Smartphone App list Note: A mobile phone can be an invaluable way to help keep yourself safe during a disaster, but you should make sure you have other ways of receiving information in an emergency. "Mobile towers can go down during an emergency, so you need to make you've got alternate ways to find information, so access to a radio or other ways to stay connected if that does happen," Red Cross senior project officer Julia Goodall told the ABC. You can find a list of radio frequencies for local ABC Radio stations here

The Guardian by Lisa Cox 17 February 2021 The Forestry Corporation of New South Wales has signalled it will resume logging in bushfire-affected forests despite warnings from the state’s environmental regulator. The independent state MLC, Justin Field, has called the decision “a gross act of bad faith by Forestry Corporation and John Barilaro as forestry minister”. In a statement on Wednesday, the EPA said the forestry agency had walked away from those negotiations as they related to forestry operations on the south coast. The agency said it had an obligation to “protect, restore and enhance the quality of the environment in NSW” and warned the Forestry Corporation it could face regulatory action. Click here to read the full article State government agencies at war over logging forests ruined by fire The Sydney Morning Herald By Nick O'Malley 19 February 2021 After the devastating black summer fires, the EPA and Forestry Corp agreed that the existing set of environmental rules on logging in native forests, known as the Coastal Integrated Forestry Operation Approval, or CIFOA, was no longer suitable as no one had envisaged so much of the state could be burnt while it was being negotiated. The two agencies instead agreed to so-called “Site Specific Conditions” to manage safe logging. Referring to Forestry Corp’s decision to resume operations under pre-fire rules on the South Coast, NSW independent MP Justin Field said it “This is the most fire impacted part of the state, more than 80 per cent was burnt and many much loved and threatened species are at risk of extinction, yet the Deputy Premier seems determined to log every last tree.” Click here to read the full article

by Graham Readfearn The Guardian 17 February 2021 CSIRO-led research estimates 100 entire populations were burnt and another 816 had more than half their area burnt More than 100 plant species had their entire populations burned in the Black Summer bushfires, according to the most detailed study yet of the impact on Australia’s plants. An estimated 816 species had at least half the areas they grow burned, according to estimates in the study, and some ecosystems are now at risk of “regeneration failure”. While many of the species studied are adapted to recover from fire – either by reshooting or growing from seeds waiting dormant in nearby soils – there are fears that the loss of mature plants has left some species and entire ecosystems vulnerable. Click here to read the full article

The Sydney Morning Herald by Peter Hannan 11 February 2021 Logging of native forests makes them much more flammable and elevates the severity of bushfires when they occur, pushing some species closer to ecological collapse, according to a review of published science by two leading universities. Selective logging or thinning can also increase fire risks, according to the Bushfire Recovery Project, a joint project between Griffith University and the Australian National University. The research showed that “it is up to seven times more likely that the canopy in a logged forest will burn compared with an unlogged forest”, said Patrick Norman, an ecologist with the Griffith Climate Change Response Program. “Once the canopy is burnt, it takes a long time for the recovery.” The fragmentation of the canopy also results in warmer and drier conditions for the remaining vegetation as litter and the soil desiccate, contributing increased flammability, the paper noted. The research also indicates that from about eight years after logging until about 30 years later – when the forest begins to mature and larger gaps appear between tall trees – the forests are be more susceptible to severe bushfires. Click here to read the full article