Nornalup rally to protect 500-year-old tingle trees: WA Forest Alliance calls burn policy ‘not intelligent’

Angry residents rallied at a “tingle graveyard” in Walpole-Nornalup National Park on Sunday to protest the State’s “not intelligent” prescribed burning policy. Organised by the WA Forest Alliance, about 50 people met at Douglas Hill in Walpole to oppose two planned burns in nearby Nornalup, which is similarly populated by red tingle trees, some of which are 500 years old. WAFA senior campaigner Jason Fowler claims the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions’ planned burns — one set to go ahead this month and another in spring — will affect sections of forest that are believed to have been untouched since 1937 and 1969. “The reason we rallied at the tingle graveyard is to show people what it looks like when the DBCA do their ‘perfect burn’,” he said. “It’s the most shocking piece of forest you can go to, with many collapsed 500-year-old red tingle trees from where the government has been burning for the past 50 years. “A baby tingle has to be left alone for 15 years before it is strong enough to survive a fire regime and DBCA is doing it every six to ten years. “The older ones get burnt out from the inside and then after two or three fires, a winter storm knocks it down and it dies. “The WA Government is knowingly destroying these protected ecosystems and a section of pristine forest that hasn’t been touched by fire for many years.” Mr Fowler said burning puts the trees at risk and the protected native animals that live there, including quokkas, Carnaby’s cockatoos and critically endangered western ringtail possums. “When we ask (the Government) about this, their blanket statement is saying there’s a negative correlation between prescribed burning and wildfires,” Mr Fowler said. “However this is very blunt and not intelligent, it’s not tailored to look at different forest types. A DBCA spokesperson said it used an “evidence and risk-based approach” in its burns program that includes extensive planning and consultation. “(DBCA aims) to protect the Nornalup-Walpole town site and to maintain biodiversity values by reducing the risk of severe bushfire impacts. “The area is a mix of karri, tingle forest and heathland, and contains some forest fuels that have not been burnt for 55 years.” The first burn will cover 8ha in the section of forest known as FRK_074 and the second covers 86ha in FRK_099, though the DBCA has stated that if these burns were successful the remaining unburnt area of FRK_099 will be “considered as part of the 2024-25 Burn Options Program”. WAFA has written to the Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to formally assess the prescribed burn plans. A spokesperson for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water confirmed they had received a “request for it ‘call in’ for assessment under national environment law the activity related to Walpole-Nornalup National Park prescribed burns.” “The department is considering the request and engaging with relevant stakeholders,” they said.