Forestry Corporation is deploying early fire detection cameras across NSW State forests in the largest rollout of this groundbreaking technology in Australia.
The network will be installed across the state's major softwood growing regions, covering 1.2 million hectares of land from Northern NSW to the NSW-Victoria border with cameras installed at 22 strategic locations.
Key regions monitored by the cameras include Tumut, Moss Vale, Bombala, Walcha, and Bathurst, including three wind farm development zones near Bathurst and Tumut.
The cameras will not only help protect critical plantation assets but also neighbouring communities, national parks and privately-owned agricultural land.
The cameras will be provided by technology provider Pano AI.
Powered by artificial intelligence, these cameras scan the landscape, track changes in pixel colour detecting smoke columns, delivering real-time alerts to fire crews and allowing rapid fire response.
Land Management & Innovation Manager Jamie Carter said the cameras will enhance Forestry Corporation's existing fire tower network, which is the largest in the country, by providing additional coverage and extending fire detection during overnight hours and in low-visibility conditions.
"This is a significant milestone after four years of trialing and refining our approach to early fire detection," Mr Carter said.
"Following the significant impact of the 2019–2020 Black Summer fires where 25% of the pine plantation estate was burnt, Forestry Corporation has focused on aligning technological advancement with the needs of the NSW softwood estate.
"This solution provides a critical edge in the crucial first 30 minutes after ignition, which is hugely important from a firefighting perspective," he said.
Fire detection technology has been extensively trialled in the US, South Africa and Europe and here in Australia trained to local conditions.
Pano AI's Head of Australia GTM Andrew Prolov said the partnership with Forestry Corporation was a clear signal that the technology is now mature and accepted by industry and emergency services, playing a key role in protecting lives and livelihoods.
"Pano's solution is trained on billions of images from diverse landscapes, micro-climates, and seasons across Australia and internationally," Mr Prolov said.
"By combining AI detection with advanced geospatial insights, it helps Forestry Corporation understand the full context of each fire detected," he said.
Research shows that 80–85% of the area monitored by Forestry Corporation's fire towers also includes surrounding private property and public lands providing a significant and wide-reaching community benefit.
In regions like Bathurst, tower operators detect and report more than half of all fires, often placing the first call to emergency services across these land tenures.
"This technology won't replace our highly skilled fire tower operators, but it's a powerful addition to our early detection suite. We're proud to lead the way in this field," Mr Carter added.
The rollout directly responds to key recommendations from the Independent NSW Bushfire Inquiry that followed the 2019 /2020 Black Summer fires, calling for enhanced remote fire detection capabilities.
Over the last two decades, approximately 70,000 hectares of softwood forests in NSW have been impacted by fire.
With State forests producing enough timber each year to build 40,000 new homes, strengthening early fire detection is critical to safeguarding the state's timber supply.
