Using our forestry expertise and skills, equipment, and technical and local knowledge we contribute to the Victorian Government’s bushfire management, response and recovery across Victoria.
Our staff have a broad range of fire roles and expertise including operational firefighting, incident management and support roles such as logistics and information, and plant and aircraft support.
Additionally, our contractors often provide equipment such as bulldozers, excavators, and skidders to support fire-fighting efforts across the State.
We are part of Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) along with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), Parks Victoria and Melbourne Water. We also work alongside the County Fire Authority (CFA), other emergency services and local communities’ year-round to protect people, property, and our iconic landscapes.
Our staff and contractors also support DELWP with fuel reduction burns throughout the year to help reduce the risk of bushfires spreading out of containable areas.
We also contribute to bushfire recovery, such as assisting with road clearing at the direction of FFMVic.
Seed collection supports forest recovery
Each year we collect Eucalyptus seed, which is placed into storage for future regeneration programs and to support post-bushfire recovery. VicForests retains Victoria’s largest store of Eucalyptus seeds.
Following the 2019–20 bushfires in South Eastern Australia, we contributed 2.9 tonnes of seed from our seedbank and continue to collect seed to build the state’s seedbank to protect against future fire events. This seed along with our expertise contributed to the reseeding of 11,500 hectares of forest in Victoria.