The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service will be conducting a hazard reduction burn in Goonook Nature Reserve on Thursday 2 September 2021.
National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Area Manager Brett Cann said the purpose of the burn is to reduce fuel loads in the nature reserve adjacent to private residential properties west of Upper Lansdowne Road.
'The plan is the implement the 244-hectare burn on Thursday, beginning at around 10am, with mop up and patrol continuing on Friday and Saturday,' said Mr Cann.
'Our NPWS crews will be working on roads throughout Goonook Nature Reserve for the duration of the burn.
'We're asking locals to please exercise caution and follow directions of NPWS crews if driving on roads in the area.
'If you are vulnerable to smoke, we encourage you to stay indoors and keep your doors and windows closed to reduce exposure.
'This burn is one of the many that we're working hard to carry out in national parks across the Hunter and Central Coast region during Spring,' said Mr Cann.
Hazard reduction burns are essential to reduce bushfire fuel loads to help protect the parks, neighbours and communities from future bushfires.
All burns across NSW will continue to be coordinated with the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) to ensure the impact on the community, including from smoke, are assessed at a regional level.
Hazard reductions are an essential activity under the current Public Health Orders and will be conducted in a COVID-19 safe manner to ensure the safety of fire crews and the community.
COVID-19 safety briefings are provided to all staff who are required to wear masks along with their normal fire personal protective equipment. Contact tracing is also enabled via the QR code sign-in all fire crews must complete when starting.
For health information relating to smoke from bush fires and hazard reduction burning, visit the NSW Health website or the Asthma Foundation.
