Public bushfire science in Stawell

What does all this rain and flood mean for people living in bushfire prone areas? That's the topic of a public event at the Stawell Entertainment Centre next week,

Bushfire Science is hosted by The Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) and is part of its Talking Science in Regional Victoria program. This Bushfire Science event is supported by the Bushfire CRC and follows a similar event in Adelaide late last year. This is a new partnership for public science for the Bushfire CRC and we are hoping it continues with more events across Australia. The plan is to make our science as accessible as possible to all audiences and to show the link between what happens in the universities and how that is transferred to action around the house.

Why Stawell this time? This town in western Victoria is in the heart of bushfire territory, with the most recent serious fires in 2006 threatening much of the area around the Grampians. More recently, the region has been hard hit by flood and heavy rain. Later in the year we will be seeking a venue in another part of the state - suggestions welcome.

Two Bushfire CRC speakers have been lined up for Stawell – Dr Chris Weston of the University of Melbourne, and John Schauble of the Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner. John is a Bushfire CRC Lead End User. Also on the bill is Michael Boatman, Manager of Community Safety, CFA, Grampians Region.  The host for the evening is Matt O’Sullivan, Content Director for ABC Rural in Victoria. See you there!