Fire prevention through vegetation management is a key aspect of bushfire mitigation. It takes place in a complex environment of legislative requirements and community expectations.

Accountability for this activity varies from State to State, but principally resides with land owners or managers. In Victoria, Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteer brigades have a history of supporting land owners and managers to achieve fire prevention outcomes, particularly on roadsides. Historically, this focused on planned burning and other roadside works, to protect communities, assets and to provide safer community access and egress.

Over time there have been changes to considerations and legislation relating to OH&S, road safety, risk management and environmental sustainability that have increased the complexity of this activity. These changes have placed a significant burden on brigades delivering fire prevention works to and for landholders. To ensure that fire prevention activities are conducted with all land management, legislative, safety and community expectations considered, CFA has developed and implemented its Vegetation Management Program (VMP). The VMP provides direct support to brigades by reducing the administrative and compliance burden, while supporting risk based planning for fire prevention works over a broad range of land tenures.

The VMP is building greater brigade, community and agency engagement in fire prevention to educate, create public value and protect life and property. Its success is characterised by integration with broader fire management objectives and reconciliation with other land management objectives. This is achieved through advocacy and facilitating collaboration between stakeholders.

This paper will describe:

• the purpose and logic of the vegetation management program;

• the public value created through support to volunteer brigades and their work; and

• through a case study, centred on Nelson in south west Victoria, how the program can be pivotal in gaining whole of community support to increase safety and knowledge.