Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, upon notice, on 12 April 2011:

With reference to prescribed burns carried out by the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation in 2009-10, and unmanaged bush fires:

(1) Does the department keep records of the square kilometres burnt by prescribed burns in Western Australia:

(a) if so, can copies of these figures be provided, for every years for which data exists; and

(b) if not, why not.

(2) Does the department keep records of the square kilometres burnt by unmanaged bush fires in the Western Australia: (a) if so, can copies of these figures be provided, for every year for which data exists; and

(b) if not, why not.

(3) Does the department have a figure pertaining to the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) that is released, per year since 1990, as a result of prescribed burns;

(a) if so, can copies of these figures be provided; and

(b) if not, why not and why are these figures not acquired or kept to enable CO2e levels to be attributed to Western Australia.

(4) Does the department have a figure pertaining to the CO2e that is released, per year since 1990, as a result of unmanaged bush fires in Western Australia:

(a) if so, can copies of these figures be provided; and

(b) if not, why not and why are these figures not acquired or kept to enable CO2e levels to be attributed to Western Australia.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

Emissions from prescribed burns for forests are estimated and reported under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) sector 'Land use, land use change and forestry' (LULUCF) as part of Australia's National Greenhouse Accounts. Emissions from the prescribed burning of savannas are estimated and reported separately under IPCC sector 'Agriculture' as part of the same accounts. Emissions are estimated in accordance with international guidelines and published annually.

For these sectors the Department publishes state based activity and emissions data on the Australian Greenhouse Emissions Information System (AGEIS). Data is available for 1990 to 2009. Prescribed burns carried out by the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation are not separately identified.

(1) The Department has published activity tables on the AGEIS with hectares of land burnt by prescribed burns for 1990 to 2009. These activity tables can be found at:

http://ageis.climatechange.gov.au/Reports/2011_2009_ActivityTable_Savannas.pdf; and

http://ageis.climatechange.gov.au/Reports/2011_2009_ActivityTable_LULUCF.pdf.

(2) The Department has published activity tables on the AGEIS with hectares of land burnt by wildfires for 1990 to 2009. These activity tables can be found at: http://ageis.climatechange.gov.au/Reports/2011_2009_ActivityTable_LULUCF.pdf.

(3) The Department has published carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) emissions from controlled burning in the 'LULUCF' sector on the AGEIS for 1990 to 2009. These can be found at:

http://ageis.climatechange.gov.au/Reports/2011_2009_ActivityTable_LULUCF.pdf.

Emission estimates from the prescribed burning of savannas category can be separately interrogated under the 'Agriculture' sector:

http://ageis.climatechange.gov.au/.

(4) The Department has published CO2-e emissions from wildfires in forest lands on the AGEIS for 1990 to 2009. These can be found at:

http://ageis.climatechange.gov.au/Reports/2011_2009_ActivityTable_LULUCF.pdf.