Forest and Rural Fire Association of New Zealand Inc.     

Regional News

 The Wairarapa Rural Fire District (WRFD) covers approximately 600,000 hectares, and extends from the top of the Tararua and Rimutaka Ranges to the east coast, and from Pukaha Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre to Cook Straight and Palliser Bay.

The WRFD contains three main land zones:

The Tararua and Rimutaka Ranges are generally high rainfall indigenous forested Department of Conservation lands, with some gorse and scrub areas along the fringes.  Main areas of concern for fire management are the fringes, the railway corridor, and the Rimutaka Hill Road (SH2).

The Ruamahanga Valley is where the population is concentrated so this is where we have most of our fire incidents.  The valley is generally intensively farmed, with dairy, viticulture and horticultural land uses.  Lifestyle developments also feature.  While the incidence of rural fire is high, and capital values at risk are high, the probability of a large scale incident is lower, although Wither Hills or West Melton type incidents are a concern.  Access throughout the main valley is good, and our resource levels and ability to respond in a timely fashion are also good.

The Eastern Hill Country makes up more than half the total land area of the Wairarapa Rural Fire District, and it is this area that presents us with our main issues.  Access throughout this area is restricted, with many remote areas (more than one hour drive from the Ruamahanga Valley for fire appliances).  Most roads through this region extend from the main valley out to or near the coast (east - west access) but access north and south is limited.  It is not uncommon to travel two hours to move 10 kms along the coast.

The large land mass, restricted access, numerous small rural communities, rapidly increasing coastal development, a concentration of many commercial forests and extensive scrublands all add to our problems.  Coastal development in the Wairarapa is currently booming, with many high value residential developments occurring in remote locations.  Many of these developers/owners have an expectation of urban type fire protection services – hard to achieve when you are over an hour away.

The New Zealand Fire Service have five urban brigades within the WRFD in Masterton, Carterton, Greytown, Featherston and Martinborough.  In addition WRFD support eight Voluntary Rural Fire Forces in Mauriceville, Tinui, Castlepoint, Wainuioru, Riversdale Beach, Tuturumuri, Lake Ferry and Ngawi.  Four local forestry companies plus Department of Conservation provide direct support to the WRFD through funding, trained personnel and provision of additional appliances and equipment.

The WRFD was gazetted on 1 December 2004 when four Rural Fire Authorities amalgamated (DOC, South Wairarapa DC, Carterton DC and Masterton DC).  This has enabled the WRFD to employ a full time professional PRFO.  We average over 300 notifications each year.  We have higher than average (for NZ) Fire Danger Ratings and we monitor 9 remote weather stations to keep tabs on our fire weather indices.  While much of our fleet is in need of upgrade or replacement, we have added two brand new fire appliances and one local build large tanker to the fleet in the last 4 years.  Fire fighter recruitment and retention is an ongoing issue.  A particular focus for our business is training.  With our VRFF in remote, small, rural locations, their roles within their local communities is often more than just a vegetation fire response unit.

The Woodhill-Riverhead Rural Fire District is one of the smallest Rural Fire Districts in New Zealand but is also one of the highest at risk Districts. It totals 30,000 hectares of which 17,000 hectares is in exotic pine plantation. Woodhill Forest (12.5 has) is a long protection/production forest originally planted to prevent the inland spread of creeping sand dunes. It has a large beach frontage (60 kilometres) which is widely used by the public. The forest has three main zones; the sea frontage consisting of maram grass and coastal vegetation both of which are very high fire risks; the coastal protection zone of  malformed pines; and the production zone.  Added to this is a very high public use for recreation.  Being only 40 kilometres from the centre of Auckland it is easily accessible.  Over the years many commercial recreational ventures have developed within the forest including an international mountain bike track, horse trailing, four wheel drive tracks,  an adventure playground, and  trail bike tracks.  Over a million people recreate in the forest each year.

Woodhill Forest is managed by Hancock Forest Management from Whangarei for  Taumata Forests.

 Riverhead Forest also has high recreational use but not on a commercial basis.  It is managed by Rayonier NZ for Matariki Forests.  Originally planted by the Forest Service on poor nutrient deficient soils it  totals nearly 4000 hectares.

 Other members of the Committee include the Rodney District Council ,Watercare, NZ Fire Service  and Department of Conservation.

The Fire District averages about 50 callouts a year.  Many are burnt out cars.  The Principal Rural Fire Officer is Alan Flux, and Scott Marchant is the Principal Rural Fire Officer for the Rodney District Council.

“The Southern Rural Fire Authority was formed to allow the participants to enhance effective fire prevention, protection, suppression and other fire control measures within the respective areas at risk from uncontrolled fires”.

The Southern Rural Fire Authority formed on 7 August 2003 and amalgamated the rural fire responsibilities of the Southland District Council, Gore District Council, Invercargill City Council, Southern Plantations Rural Fire District and Department of Conservation Southland Conservancy into one single organization.

In total approximately 3 million hectares or one ninth of the land area of New Zealand is within the district of Southern Rural Fire Authority. Southern Rural Fire Authority is governed by a Committee of representatives from the three councils, DOC, forest organizations and NZ Fire Service. Dave Adamson of the Southland District Council is the chairman.

 The Southern Rural Fire Authority has two full time fire officers, Mike Grant (PRFO) and Elton Smith (DPRFO).  The Southern Rural Fire District also has 350 rural fire fighters & IMT staff, of which 120 are part of seven Volunteer Rural Fire Forces based at Athol, Garston, Blackmount, Hedgehope, Drummond, Beaumont and Waikawa.  Agreements area also in place to use the NZ Fire Service and other fire suppression providers if required, including aerial fire fighting capacity through the use of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.

 All participants agree that the final result of the amalgamation would:

 Fire Season Zones
The Southern Rural Fire Authority manages the area under two main zones:

Zone A
Where the general risk is low the areas will be managed with an Open Fire Season. This will be upgraded to a Restricted Fire Season or Prohibited Fire Season when fire danger values reach certain thresholds.

Zone B
Because of the higher risk and values threatened areas will be managed with a Restricted Fire Season 365 days a year. This will be upgraded to a Prohibited Fire Season when fire danger values reach certain thresholds.

Fire Suppression Resources

 The Southern Rural Fire Authority maintains equipment for fire suppression at 32 locations throughout the District.  This includes Volunteer Rural Fire Forces, forestry fire depots, contract fire crew depots and New Zealand Fire Service stations where we have equipment located. 

 A brief summary of resources include:

 Since its formation in 2003, the Southern Rural Fire Authority has purchased and put into service seven fire response vehicles including dedicated vehicles and 4wd fire appliances.  A further 4wd fire appliance and another rural fire tanker are planned for the following six months.  In addition to this, a new fire station has been built at Drummond, with further buildings being planned.

 Fire Training

The Southern Rural Fire Authority has put in place a standardised approach to fire training; with an individual training plan for each fire crew to meet the needs of that particular location.  Where some volunteer rural fire forces respond to incidents other than just vegetation, appropriate training is provided by the authority to meet this need. 

 Vegetation Fire Incidents

 Since amalgamation, the Southern Rural Fire Authority has had to deal with a number of significant fire events across the district, ranging from peat & wetland fires, fires in mixed and heavy native vegetation, pine plantation and hill & high country fires.  Often these events are associated with periods of high winds, which as a result have seen multiple fires occurring across the district at the same time.      

The fire authority is particularly proactive with cost recovery issues, with over 90% of fire suppression costs recovered directly from those responsible for the fire.

Eastern Regional Rural Fire Committee 3.04.07

The Rural Fire Authority members of the Eastern Regional Rural Fire Committee comprise of, Central Hawke’s Bay, Hastings, Wairoa, and Gisborne District Council’s, the Napier City Council, Bay Forest Rural Fire District, Eastland Rural Fire District, and the Department of Conservation.

Rural Fire Authorities are bounded in the East by the Pacific Ocean from Potaka, just north of Hicks Bay, to Whangaehu, just South of Porangahau.  Inland the area of responsibility ranges from the top of the Waioeka Gorge across the Huiarau ranges, down to the Ahimanawa, Kaiweka and Ruahine ranges, to the Takapau plains, just south of Takapau.  Combined, Fire Authorities are responsible for a total 2,122,350 hectares.  Territorial Fire Authorities are responsible for 58.77% of land within the Eastern Regional Rural Fire Committees boundaries, Rural Fire Districts 21.30%, the Department of Conservation 18.44%, and the New Zealand Fire Service 1.59%.

The mountain ranges to the west of the region provide a sheltering effect from the predominantly westerly wind flow over new Zealand, resulting in a sunny, temperate climate that is susceptible to drought.  As a result, during the peak of the fire season, the region is susceptible to rural fires caused by roadside operations, arcing powerlines, and of course the most common ailment, man.  The District has suffered from a number of significant fires this current fire season, and conditions are such that the entire region remains in either a Restricted or Prohibited Fire Season.

Rural fire equipment ranges from specially designed and built tankers, to fire trailers and prehistoric ex-fire service appliances, a number of which are thirty years or more in age.  The region has benefited in recent years however in proactively replacing geriatric appliances with the Class 4 Medium Rural Appliance approved by the National Rural Fire Authority. The following Rural Fire Forces have benefit from this subsidy scheme in the last three years, Tiniroto, Ruakituri, Tuai, Tutira, Maraekakaho, and Puketitiri.

Supported by a large number of trained volunteer rural fire forces, forestry crews and Department of Conservation personnel, the region manages its fire risk by implementing Restricted and Prohibited Fire Seasons as required, and making personnel available to assist in incident management with neighbouring rural fire authorities when called upon.  Members of the Eastern Regional Rural Fire Committee meet six times a year with a meeting hosted by each member in their respective districts.

The West Coast Rural Fire District 26.3.07

The West Coast Rural Fire District was the first amalgamated fire district in New Zealand. It was gazetted in December 1997 covering three and a half million hectares. It stretches from north of Karamea to south of Jacksons Bay, a distance of over 800 kilometres or greater than the distance from Auckland to Wellington. It comprises the former Rural Fire Districts of the Buller, Grey and Westland District Councils and Department of Conservation. These four Authorities, plus the forestry company Timberlands West Coast, are the financial sponsors of the District. Over 90% of the District is in Department of Conservation stewardship. The District also has about 35,000 hectares of exotic forest spread in small blocks mainly in the Buller and Grey District Council areas.

The high, evenly spread rainfall on the West Coast prevents high drought code or build up indices. But because of the large amount of fine fuels of manuka and gorse, and the many areas of urban/rural interfaces, high fire risks occur frequently. The Coast has had a record of some serious exotic forest fires. In 1968 and again in 1973 serious fires destroyed over 800 hectares of exotic pine forest. The District is divided into 4 zones for management purposes. Each zone is responsible for providing a response force and these are supplemented by five Volunteer Rural Fire Forces.

Over 350 people have obtained FRSITO unit standards and there are over 80 fully fledged basic fire fighters with all the necessary unit standards. Since the formation of the District there has been a marked increase in the number of permits issued and an equally marked decrease in the number of wildfires. The most serious fires are caused by arson in remote back country. These are inevitably caused by hunters lighting areas of low scrub and pakahis to induce fresh growth for deer.

Western Bay Moana Rural Fire Authority 1.3.07

 Western Bay Moana Rural Fire Authority was formed in 2003 with the amalgamation of Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, the Department of Internal Affairs ( off-shore islands) and Department of Conservation into one Rural Fire Authority. It administers about 145,0000 Ha, mostly horticulture and farming land, a significant conservation estate on the Kaimai Ranges but with most of the forestry plantation areas ceded to adjacent Pumicelands RFA.

 Councils, as a cost cutting measure, out-sourced council service provision at the start of the millennium without consideration of rural fire requirements and as a consequence resources are a concern. The attraction of coast and climate creates a proliferation of townships each supporting a volunteer Fire service Brigade that, under agreement, provides a rural fire fighting service. The high proportion of ‘retirees’ also provides a barrier to recruitment of volunteers within these communities. Potential changes in legislation, the Fire service Review etc. have been seen as reasons to delay improvement but ….

 The 1973 Bedford rural fire appliance has been replaced! The need for a 4x4, very manoeuvrable first response vehicle with sufficient water capacity to handle the difficult access many rural properties present these days was met through the purchase of an imported ex-diesel tanker.