CALM's fire chief to join UN group to discuss fire situation in Indonesia

17/4/98

The Department of Conservation and Land Management's fire chief will join a United Nations working party in Switzerland next week to discuss strategies to deal with the fire situation in Indonesia.

Rick Sneeuwjagt, manager of CALMfire, will attend meetings in Geneva to explore the most effective methods to deal with the fires that have been burning out of control since last year.

The talks also will look at the broader implications of the fires, medium and long-term measures to deal with the problem and ways in which United Nations' initiatives can be better co-ordinated with other organisations.

Environment Minister Cheryl Edwardes said Mr Sneeuwjagt had been invited by the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the UN Environment Program.

"The aim of the workshops is to gather the best fire-fighting expertise in the world to develop ways of handling the Indonesian forest fire disaster," Mrs Edwardes said.

"The results of the workshops will be practical recommendations for future action and improved co-ordination among the different organisations involved."

Mrs Edwardes said a United Nations Disaster Assessment and Co-ordination team was in Indonesia and would provide an up-to-date situation report at the Geneva meetings.

"The invitation extended to Mr Sneeuwjagt underlines CALM's expertise in forest fire management, particularly in understanding forest fire behaviour and control methods," she said.

"Western Australia's bush fire defence system is among the best in the world - the prevention measures taken, such as fuel hazard reduction by prescribed burning, means that when fires break out in summer, they are contained relatively quickly and efficiently."

Media contacts: Ministerial - Nicole Trigwell (08) 9421 7777

CALM - Syd Shea (08) 9442 0325