Early Fire Detection and Notification System

The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area is one of the largest conservation areas in Australia, covering 25 percent of Tasmania, and home to vast areas of threatened endemic vegetation communities and culturally significant aboriginal heritage sites. The Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) has responsibility for fire management within the area.

The Early Fire Detection and Notification System Project has developed a tool, using spatial technologies and knowledge, to support PWS to make more timely decisions and limit the impact of bushfires on some of the world’s most valuable environmental and heritage assets, preserving them for future generations to come. The judges said the ability to deal with wildfires closer to origin will reduce the impact of these wildfires and help preserve the biodiversity in Tasmania. The approach taken looks repeatable across the rest of Australia and the world too.