Latest News
Welcome to the Hotspots News Online latest news. Listed below are all the articles from our current and previous newsletters.
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Fire Season Update 2020-21
Posted: 5th March 2021After one of the most intense droughts in the state’s history, NSW has finally seen some good rain. In many areas this has led to increased grass and crop growth, posing a new fire threat over the coming months. Read the full article...
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Hotspots Workshop Update 2020-21
Posted: 5th March 2021The Black Range community participated in a successful trial of an online workshop, with a split workshop series at Bungwahl/ Topi Topi receiving a surge of interest after the 2019-20 fire season. Workshops are being prepared for the Orara Valley,... Read the full article...
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Before You Light that Fire
Posted: 5th March 2021Planning a prescribed burn? The Before You Light that Fire publication provides guidance for landholders in NSW Read the full article...
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New National Emergency Warning
Posted: 5th March 2021The Australian Warning System is a new national approach to warnings for hazards like bushfire, flood, storm, cyclone, extreme heat and other severe weather. All states and territories will now display incidents in the same way. See the new symbology...
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NSW Bushfire Inquiry Update
Posted: 5th March 2021The Hotspots Fire Project has been recognised in the NSW Bushfire Inquiry as an important tool for creating resilient and fire-prepared communities. Following one of the inquiry recommendations, we will be talking to previous participants about... Read the full article...
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Large Forest Owls Project videos
Posted: 5th March 2021See what the Large Forest Owls Project has been up to and access their training videos via a new Large Forest Owls Project poster. Read the full article...
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School nest box building collaboration
Posted: 5th March 2021Jamie Bertram from the Hotspots Fire Project has been involved in a bush fire recovery and preparation project with school students in the Orara Valley area. Read the full article...
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Fire and Restoration Research Hub, March 2021
Posted: 5th March 2021NCC’s Fire and Restoration Network has been busy publishing the many resources that have appeared online since the COVID-19. There is a wealth of free webinars and training tools now available. Read the full article...
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NCC 2021 Bushfire Conference
Posted: 5th March 2021Tickets are now available for the Nature Conservation Council's 2021 Bushfire Conference. Over three days, this year's theme "Cool, Warm, Hot: the burning questions" will explore how different fire intensities can influence ecosystems and... Read the full article...
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Fire season update 2019-20
Posted: 21st May 2020The 2019–2020 bush fire season was the most widespread and extreme bush fire disaster that Australia has experienced. Large and destructive bushfires occurred in most states and territories. In New South Wales, since 1 July 2019, 11,264 bush &... Read the full article...
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Gumma, Tingha, Tathra workshop updates
Posted: 21st May 2020After an unprecedented fire season the Hotspots team is more committed than ever to spreading the Hotspots knowledge across the state. Before the fire season there were workshops delivered up north near Gumma and down south with Tathra, while... Read the full article...
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Managing Land Post-Fire: fact sheet
Posted: 21st May 2020Managing a landscape post-fire comes with many unique challenges.This Hotspots fact sheet is designed to give you a brief overview of some of those challenges and actions you can take to mitigate them. Read the full article...
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Protecting Our Hollows: fact sheet
Posted: 21st May 2020The Hotspots team has developed a fact sheet on the value of hollows, providing five steps that landholders can take to help protect these important natural assets. Read the full article...
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Bush Fire Facts: training videos
Posted: 21st May 2020NSW RFS has produced a series of ‘Bush Fire Facts’ videos for landholders to help them prepare before a fire and a new Bush Fire Survival plan tailored for farmers. Read the full article...
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Large Forest Owls and Nest Box Project updates
Posted: 21st May 2020Since the fire season, NCC’s Large Forest Owls Project has been busy returning acoustic recorders (song meters) to properties across the Richmond-Clarence Lowlands, while the new Nest Box Fundraising Project received an overwhelming response,... Read the full article...
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Flames in the Rainforests webinar
Posted: 21st May 2020NCC’s Bushfire Program is hosting a free 1-hour webinar, Flames in the Rainforests: bushfire impacts and restoration in northern NSW. Read the full article...
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NCC Fire and Restoration Site Network Hub May 2020
Posted: 21st May 2020The Fire and Restoration site looks at a report by the Threatened Species Recovery Hub on how to respond to the bushfire crisis, the role of fungi in ecological recovery, building a fire-safe garden and a Hotspots ecologist is interviewed about the... Read the full article...
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Useful links and applications
Posted: 25th June 2019Check out the updated list of resources including tools, databases, and applications you may find useful. Read the full article...
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Fire season update 2018-2019
Posted: 23rd January 2019After a late finish to the 2017-18 fire season, dry conditions were experienced throughout winter this year. As a result, the Bush Fire Danger Period commenced early. Read the full article...
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Site assessment & Monitoring Guide
Posted: 23rd January 2019The Hotspots team has produced a practical guide to help landholders apply simple site assessment, monitoring and evaluation techniques to refine and update property management plans and actions over time Read the full article...
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Canyonleigh workshop participants conduct independent burn
Posted: 23rd January 2019Workshop participants put their knowledge to the test by conducting their own successful burn in NSW’s Southern Highlands in July. Read the full article...
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Upcoming workshops in Tingha, Pappinbarra, Orangeville, Wingello and Tathra
Posted: 23rd January 2019The Hotspots team is planning to deliver workshops at Tathra on the South Coast, Orangeville/Werombi and Wingello near Sydney, at Tingha (near Inverell) and Pappinbarra (near Port Macquarie). Read the full article...
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NCC Fire and Restoration Network Hub January 2019
Posted: 22nd January 2019Recent articles published on the Fire & Restoration site include Hotspots ecologist Mark Graham discussing hollow-bearing trees and the Bonnells Bay area; small mammals and fire regimes; a look at koala management in NSW; and online training in... Read the full article...
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Fires Near Me NSW application updated
Posted: 22nd January 2019As well as bug fixes, new features have been added to the app based on feedback from users. Read the full article...
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2017-18 Fire season – update
Posted: 25th June 2018The 2017-18 fire season, which officially ended March 31, 2018, was a particularly busy one. Since July 1, 2017, firefighters from all agencies responded to more than 14,000 bush, scrub and grass fires that burnt a total of 265,848 hectares across... Read the full article...
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Fire and Weeds Scientific Review
Posted: 25th June 2018Exciting news! After an extensive review process, we are now launching our Fire and Weeds Hotspots Review, which provides a framework of knowledge on fire and weed management for professionals working in and with the Hotspots programs. Click here to... Read the full article...
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Hotspots workshops at Broken Head, Bocoble, Canyonleigh and Wagonga
Posted: 25th June 2018Four Hotspots workshop series have been delivered in communities at Broken Head, Bocoble, Canyonleigh, and the Wagonga Local Aboriginal Land Council. Read the full article...
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Hotspots collaboration in cultural fire project in Jubullum
Posted: 25th June 2018Jamie Bertram from the Hotspots Fire Project has been involved in a project working with the Jubullum Village Aboriginal Community to implement a range of property fire-management projects. Read the full article...
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Workshops planned for 2018-19
Posted: 25th June 2018There are plans to bring Hotspots workshops in the next financial year to the communities of Shannon Creek southwest of Grafton, Penrose in the Southern Highlands, Cobargo in the Bega region, and to deliver a modified workshop series to the Bombay... Read the full article...
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NCC Fire and Restoration Site - update
Posted: 25th June 2018This quarter's Fire & Restoration Newsletter brings you leading germination expert Dr Mark Ooi who discusses the impacts of fire seasonality on plant germination, an article about the protection of bark-eating koalas near Cooma, as well as cool... Read the full article...
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Online Environmental Tools Videos
Posted: 25th June 2018Information and “how to” resources are available for online environmental tools, including Atlas of Living Australia, BioNet, and SEED from the recent webinar delivered by the NCC Bush fire Program. Read the full article...
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2017-18 Fire season – December update
Posted: 20th December 2017A late forming La Niña has been declared by the Bureau of Meteorology however indicators suggest that while it is likely to persist over summer, it will be weak and bring little in the way of widespread heavy rainfall. Read the full article...
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Fires Near Me – update available
Posted: 20th December 2017The Fires Near Me NSW application has recently been updated to version 3.1.0 (IOS) or 3.0 (Android). For more information and to check if you have the latest version of the app installed see: https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/news-and-media/stay-up-to-date Read the full article...
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Updated Links and Apps
Posted: 18th December 2017An update on the selection of links that may be useful. If you have recommendations for other sites and applications please send them through to the Hotspots team. Read the full article...
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Fire operational update 2016-17
Posted: 30th June 2017The latest climate outlook from the Bureau of Meteorology and the winter daytime temperatures are expected to see increased opportunity for hazard reduction burning. Read the full article...
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New fire and weeds landholder booklet
Posted: 30th June 2017The fire and weeds Landholder booklet is now available via the Hotspots website. The booklet translates the science from the Hotspots scientific review on the interaction between Fire and Weeds in the Native Vegetation of NSW. Read the full article...
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Wrap-up of the Nature Conservation Council's Bushfire Conference and Field Day
Posted: 30th June 2017The Nature Conservation Council hosted their 11th Biennial Bushfire Conference in Sydney on May 30 to June 1. Over 265 people attended this year's conference, which explored the interactions between fire, fauna and weeds across a range of ecosystems... Read the full article...
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Recent workshop activity in Yarramalong, Yetholme and Tweed-Caldera
Posted: 30th June 2017Hotspots has conducted workshops recently with community members at Yetholme (Hunter), Yarramalong (North Coast) and Uki in the Tweed (Wollumbin) Caldera. Read the full article...
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Pillar Valley Coldstream monitoring Surveys
Posted: 30th June 2017Vegetation, overall fuel hazard load and small mammal monitoring were conducted on and adjacent to the site of the Pillar Valley (Clarence Valley, Northern NSW) workshop in March, almost a year after the prescribed burn. Read the full article...
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New on the Fire and Restoration Network Hub
Posted: 30th June 2017Recent articles published on the Hub include a spotlight on the Burning Hotspots - Gondwana Threatened Species and Fire project and an article on a field experiment in early stage restoration of Cumberland Plain Woodland in Western Sydney Read the full article...
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Joint agency cultural burn following the Hotspots workshop near Mogo
Posted: 30th June 2017In October 2016, Hotspots delivered a tailored workshop with Aboriginal rangers from Mogo and Batemans Bay Local Aboriginal Land Councils. To complement the workshops, fire-fighting training was provided by the NSW RFS to assist in building their... Read the full article...
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Workshops scheduled in Broken Head, Crescent Head, Wingecarribee and Carwoola
Posted: 30th June 2017Planning is underway for the 2017-18 financial year workshops. Click here to find out more and to register your interest in attending Read the full article...
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Update on the 2016/17 fire season
Posted: 10th February 2017There is above-normal fire potential forecast for most central NSW for the remainder of the 2016/17 fire season. Conditions in spring and since November have increased the fire potential. Read the full article...
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Recent workshops in Mt Mitchell, Nerriga and Mogo
Posted: 10th February 2017The Hotspots team have run workshops with communities in the Mt Mitchell (southeast of Glen Innes) and Nerriga (near Braidwood) areas as well as with the Mogo and Batemans Bay Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALC). Read the full article...
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Registrations open for the NCC Bushfire Conference, 30th May to 1st June
Posted: 10th February 2017NCC is proud to present our 11th Biennial Bushfire Conference 'Fire, Fauna and Ferals: from backyards to bush'. Registrations are now open Read the full article...
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Cooperative koala project - protecting koalas, people and houses from wildfire
Posted: 10th February 2017A fire management plan has been developed through a cooperative planning process to address wildfire risk to a small and highly significant threatened koala population at Tanja (Biamanga) on the Far South Coast of NSW. Read the full article...
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Greater Sydney Local Land Services and Hotspots fire and weed management project wrap-up
Posted: 10th February 2017There have been significant ecological outcomes from a project to restore native bushland on private properties in the Bowen Mountain, Kurrajong Hills, East Kurrajong and Grose Vale areas. Read the full article...
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Hotspots scheduled workshops
Posted: 10th February 2017Hotspots workshop are scheduled for Yetholme, Yarramalong and Chillingham, click here for more details and to register you interest in attending. Read the full article...
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Collaborative delivery between Firesticks and Hotspots
Posted: 10th February 2017Hotspots delivered a two-day workshop series in Mt Mitchell with the Banbai Rangers from Wattleridge Indigenous Protected Area in October 2016. Read the full article...
