Bushfires: Preparedness, Mitigation, Response and Recovery

This seminar addressed the unprecedented scale and devastation of the 2019–2020 Australian bushfire season, which burned over 18.6 million hectares and caused catastrophic impacts to communities, ecosystems, and wildlife. The event brought together leading experts in fire ecology, conservation management, and bushfire resilience to explore how Australia can better prepare for and recover from major fire events in the face of a changing climate. Discussions explored bushfire risk assessment for resilient design, the roles of hazard reduction, Asset Protection Zones, and the integration of Indigenous cultural burning practices. Speakers shared on-the-ground experiences from recent recovery efforts, especially the conservation and wildlife protection strategies underway in the Hunter and Central Coast regions. 

Guest Speakers

Peta Norris – Senior Officer, NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) 

With decades of experience in conservation land management and bushfire operations, Peta leads conservation and wildlife recovery efforts in the wake of the 2019–20 fires. She is one of the few NPWS staff qualified as a major incident controller with the NSW Rural Fire Service and has extensive experience in remote firefighting and interagency incident management. 

Katherine Howard – Senior Project Officer, Saving Our Species (NPWS)

Katherine manages projects for more than 30 threatened species and ecological communities across the Hunter-Central Coast region. She has a background in zoology and previously worked with WWF-Australia in community engagement and policy related to threatened species conservation. 

Cormac Farrell – Environmental Scientist, Umwelt

Cormac specialises in bushfire planning, vegetation management, and ecological design for fire-resilient infrastructure. He is a certified Bushfire Planning and Design (BPAD) professional and a recognised voice on bushfire science, with publications in The Guardian and The New York Times. He has led bushfire protection projects for government and private clients across Australia.