Changing for success in Perth

A retrospective account of a life in fire research and the relationship between science and politics were high on the agenda with two keynote presentations leading the CRC’s Research Forum at AFAC18 powered by INTERSCHUTZ in Perth last week.

Bushfire scientist Dr Neil Burrows spoke about the complexities and historical context of prescribed burning.

“There are benefits by having scientists embedded in fire and land management agencies. Aside from acquiring the evidence to underpin agency policies and practices, scientists working in, or closely to land management agencies understand the bigger picture of community expectations and of fire and land managers.

“They understand the complex operations of prescribed burning and bushfire suppression,” Dr Burrows said.

Anna-Maria Arabia spoke about the challenges of implementing science into policy.

“With some specific exceptions, evidenced-based policy does not exist, in fact it’s a utopia that cannot exist and until we come to terms with this we will not be in a position to influence and inform policy.

“As a sector, we need to be more strategic and more savvy about how we present the evidence base and work within the complex set of factors before us,” Ms Arabia said.

CEO of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Dr Richard Thornton said he was excited about having the two keynotes present their experiences in the sector to an audience of 407 PhD students, researchers and end-users from a range of CRC research projects.

“It was great to hear from Dr Neil Burrows about his 40 years in fire research and hear from the CEO of the Australian Academy of Science, about how to go about getting science into policy.”

Dr Thornton said the Research Forum was the perfect environment to showcase the latest research innovation across the sector. “Many CRC projects are shifting to a utilisation focus and the research on display here in Perth reflects that change in providing practical outcomes for operational use.”

Over 2,500 delegates from across Australia and around the world met with fire and land managers, volunteers, policymakers and researchers at the annual conference and trade exhibition hosted by the CRC and AFAC at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre from 5-8 September.

This year’s conference featured six concurrent streams exploring the theme Changing lives in a changing world.

The conference featured sessions, panel discussions, networking functions, awards ceremonies and a trade exhibition with over 100 exhibitors showcasing the latest technology and equipment in the sector.

The three-day event provided an opportunity for attendees to strengthen their relationships with old friends and connect with new industries and organisations.

The conference program featured over 120 speakers from a range of disciplines and organisations across the emergency management sector including: climate change, fire behaviour, resilience and hazard reduction. Speakers came from a variety of backgrounds and countries including: Singapore; Hong Kong; United States; UK; New Zealand and Malaysia.

Vehicle manufacturers and equipment suppliers were showcased at the trade expo alongside technology and software representatives, engines, education and simulation providers, fire suppression materials, medical equipment, hazard reduction and marine equipment.

In addition to the exhibition, the Expo Stage featured a program filled with short presentations targeting key operations personnel and a live demonstrations area, which allowed delegates to catch a glimpse of simulation exercises and equipment up close.

The inaugural Australian Disaster Resilience Conference featured as part of AFAC18 as a sixth stream, prompting a discussion of the key insights into resilience research and programs across Australia.

The Knowledge Lounge set the scene for delegates to discuss the day’s events and meet some invited keynotes, where they were given the opportunity to take photos and ask questions to a range of local and international speakers.

Over 100 CRC research posters were also displayed, allowing attendees to gain an idea of some of the key research areas that the CRC is engaged in. 

Day two of the conference saw the CRC release its annual Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2018. The press conference was live streamed by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and ABC News.

The conference concluded with a professional development field trip to the South West region of Western Australia to investigate the complexities of prescribed burning and other risk management activities.

#AFAC18 was trending nationally throughout the week on Twitter, with attendees sharing their thoughts and continuing the conversation on sessions they had attended.

AFAC19 powered by INTERSCHUTZ will take place in Melbourne from 27-30 August 2019.

Conference resources available

The combined conference proceedings are now available. Research presentations and posters will be made available in the coming weeks, with some papers to be featured in the October edition of The Australian Journal of Emergency Management.

Papers from days two and three can be accessed via the AFAC website.

Download images from the event on Flickr.