Wednesday January 25, 2006

Future fire managers will be better equipped to meet fire management challenges in northern Australia with the development of a new award-winning educational package.

The university course 'Fire Ecology & Management in Northern Australia' won the prestigious 2005 National ASCILITE Award for Educational Design & Technology in Tertiary Education last month.

The online fire course, the first of its kind in Australia, was developed collaboratively by the Bushfire CRC, the Tropical Savannas CRC, CSIRO and Charles Darwin University.

Bushfire CRC and CSIRO ecologist Dr Kate Parr said the course tackled a wide range of complex ecological, social, political and historical aspects of fire management across northern Australia.

She said fire management in the north was totally different to that in southern Australia. “We recognise that many managers come from down south so we have contrasted the northern situation with the practices and realities of fire management in southern Australia”, she said.

Dr Parr said the course gave students real world problems and resources.

“Through videoed interviews with fire fighters, researchers and land managers, and by using computer simulation models to explore management options, students can experience the challenges faced every fire season”, she said.

Dr Penny Wurm from the Tropical Savannas CRC said the course had a whole-of-northern-Australia focus, bringing together case studies, research and references that bridged the Kimberley, Top End and northern Queensland.

Dr Wurm said 'Fire Ecology & Management in Northern Australia’ would form part of a Bachelor degree in Science or Environmental Science.

“While the new course is fully integrated it can also be used as a set of resources. For example, a lecturer may just want some north Australian case studies, or to concentrate on fire science - the unit is set up so they can select and use the materials they wish” she said.

Bushfire CRC Chief Executive Officer, Mr Kevin O’Loughlin said the Bushfire CRC would be looking at the wider application of the north Australian approach for fire management education elsewhere in Australia and New Zealand.

The development team included Dr Kate Parr from CSIRO and the Bushfire CRC, Dr Penny Wurm from the Tropical Savannas CRC, and Charles Darwin University staff, educational designer Dr Lesley Instone and web designer Helen Rysavy. The development team also drew on the expertise of contributors from the CRCs partner organisations.

Further information

Dr Kate Parr, CSIRO ph. 08 8944 8412 mobile 0424 108 897

Dr Penny Wurm, Tropical Savannas CRC ph. 08 8946 6355 mobile 0419 854 147

Media assistance

Barbara McKaige, CSIRO ph. 08 8944 8411 mobile 0407 611 846

Dr Peter Jacklyn, Tropical Savannas CRC ph. 08 8946 6285 mobile 0429 091470