A fresh approach to bushfire readiness will boost firefighting success in South Australia – using a simple yet powerful idea.
As part of the Green Triangle Fire Alliance (GTFA) network, ABP is rolling out innovative new reservoirs that will protect local ecosystems during major fire events.
In regional Australia, water blackspots can pose major challenges for firefighters during a bushfire emergency.
That’s why ABP has partnered with the Country Fire Service and the South Eastern Water Conservation and Drainage Board to construct a first-of-its-kind reservoir within our plantation at Coles.
The 2-megalitre reservoir has been strategically built in the Wattle Range dry zone to combat future fires. And thanks to a sophisticated redesign of the local drainage network, it’s already capturing – and keeping – water from the Bakers Range South Drain.
The idea for the reservoir came to life after the 2022 bushfire season, when fire crews had to travel significant distances to refill, severely impacting response times. As a result, the fires burned through 3,000 hectares of land, including valuable plantation trees.
But thanks to this new asset, firefighters will have a readily accessible water source, drastically improving their ability to control and extinguish fires quickly.
According to ABP Director Laurie Hein, the reservoir has enough water to fill the state’s Black Hawk helicopter 600 times, which is a game-changer for firefighters.
‘Every minute counts in a fire response,’ he explains. ‘This reservoir doesn’t just fill a resource gap, it also protects the community and our plantation estate.’
The new reservoir is a powerful addition to existing firefighting assets in the region, including the GTFA’s AI Fire Detection Cameras. CFA Regional Commander Jason Druwitt claims both will form a robust response to protect the community against future bushfires.
‘I believe our region now has the most sophisticated layers of surveillance to enhance how we respond to and mitigate the risk of bushfires.’
Planning is underway to develop two additional reservoir sites on the drainage network in collaboration with fellow hardwood plantation owners.