Bungulla-Bluff Bushfire fighting community - Fire to Flourish

The Bungulla-Bluff Bushfire Volunteer Community (BBVC) is an emergent group of volunteers, who coordinated their own response to the October-November 2023 bushfires that devastated Tenterfield Shire (NSW Government Declarations AGRN1075 and AGRN1114). 15+ landholders on the north & south sides of Bluff River Nature Reserve mobilised themselves to fight fires on a 24/7 roster over ten days. This was critical given their remoteness, response delays & demands on emergency services, due to the scale of the Section 44  fires. Following their experiences, they formed a community group & engaged Northern Tablelands National Parks and Wildlife Service, NSW Rural Fire Service and Granite Borders Landcare to workshop their bushfire priorities for better response. This project draws from outcomes of those workshops (held April, June & August 2024). By putting in water points on the northern and southern sides of the Bluff River Nature Reserve, the project aimed to achieve the following outcomes:

Short term:

* Improve local capacity to manage an efficient/effective fire response across the catchment.

* Relieve the threat of fires, increase confidence in ability & resources, reduce individual & household isolation.

* Connect residents physically, increase access/exit routes to/from multiple fire fronts, assist communications & coordinated effort.

Medium outcomes:

* Reduce strain on emergency services.

* Foster collaboration

* Equip community in disaster contexts

* Protect natural bushland & assets.